Eid-ul-Azha journey to be more challenging: Quader

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday directed the authorities concerned to take preparation from now to make the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha journey as smooth as the Eid-ul-Fitr one.

"There will be cattle markets, animal carrying trucks and rains during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha. So, the Eid-ul-Azha journey of people will be more challenging than Eid-ul-Fitr's one.

Preparations should be taken from now to make the Eid journey smooth," he said.

The road transport minister came up with the directives while speaking at a view-exchange meeting with the officials of the Bridges Division and Bangladesh Bridge Authority at Setu Bhabhan in the capital.

"During the Eid-ul-Fitr, there was a united effort, while the road condition was good, passable and usable. That is why the Eid journey was smooth," he said.

There was no acute traffic jams on roads and highways during the last Eid, Quader said, adding the traffic congestion that was feared did not happen and the Eid was celebrated without much traffic jam, Quader said.

"This trend should be made more positive in the coming days . . . learn from mistakes," he added.

Quader, also the Awami League General Secretary, said by next September, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel built beneath the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram.

Since the beginning of motorcycle movement over the Padma Bridge on April 20 last, the road transport and bridges minister said, 77,000 motorbikes crossed through the bridge and about Taka 77 lakh in toll has been collected from bikers.

Apart from this, Taka 660 crore has so far been collected as toll since the opening of the Padma Bridge, he said.

In the meantime, from the toll amount, the first installment of Taka 316 crore has been paid to the government and the second installment will be deposited in June next, Quader said.

He said the journey of homebound people ahead of Eid was relaxing and their journey on the way back to work has also been relaxing so far.

The minister said even though so many bridges and roads have been built, positive progress is not being made here.

"But we are not giving up. The work is a challenging one. It is possible to overcome it. A Taka 5,000-crore road safety project has already been approved. The work will begin soon. Once the project is implemented, road accidents will reduce," he said.

Bridges Division Secretary Monjur Hossain and senior officials of the Bridges Division and Bangladesh Bridge Authority were present at the meeting.