Jamuna Bridge collects over Tk 20 crore toll in 6 days amid Eid rush

A record amount of toll has been collected on Jamuna Bridge during the six days of Eid pilgrimage to cope with the pressure of people heading home on the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha. The authorities have collected a total of 204,144,550 taka toll from Friday (May 22) to Wednesday (May 27).

According to sources from the Bangladesh Bridge Authority and Jamuna Bridge Site Office, a total of 262,908 vehicles crossed the bridge on both sides in these six days. The pressure of vehicles heading to Dhaka and North Bengal has increased several times compared to normal times during Eid.

According to statistics, the highest number of vehicles crossed on Tuesday (May 26). On that day, 56,239 vehicles crossed the bridge in a single day, which is being considered the highest record during the Eid pilgrimage. A toll of 382,97,500 taka was collected on that day.

45,889 vehicles crossed the bridge in 24 hours and collected a toll of Tk 3.471 crore on Wednesday (May 27). The flow of vehicles was relatively high on that day as well due to the pressure of passengers returning home after Eid.

Those concerned said that special surveillance, traffic management and additional patrols were strengthened on the highway to ensure a smooth Eid journey. The highway police and local administration have worked to control traffic, especially on the Dhaka-Tangail-Bangabandhu Bridge West Highway.

In addition, those concerned said that there were relatively few major traffic jams during this Eid journey due to the operation of the four-lane highway and Hatikumrul Interchange. Where there used to be long traffic jams earlier, traffic was much normal this time.

The Jamuna Bridge Authority said that a control room, increased toll booths and emergency teams were deployed to handle the additional pressure before and after Eid. As a result, vehicle movement was largely orderly.

According to experts, the situation has improved significantly compared to before, despite the pressure of the Eid pilgrimage, due to infrastructure development, highway expansion, and the use of modern technology in traffic management.