Electronic toll collection begins at Padma Bridge. Here's how to pay without stopping

Highlights

• RFID tags can be obtained from the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA)
• Register their vehicles and recharge money into their accounts via Trust Bank's mobile financial service app TAP
• Users can drive through ETC lanes at speeds of at least 30 kms per hour, during which the system will automatically deduct the applicable toll

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority has announced the pilot launch of the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system on the Padma Bridge, beginning at 2pm today (15 September).

Bite-Sized: Here's how to pay toll electronically without stopping at Padma Bridge

The new system will enable vehicles to pay tolls automatically without stopping, using designated ETC lanes, enhancing travel efficiency and reducing congestion at toll plazas.

Introduced under the special directive of Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan, adviser to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, the ETC system is part of the government's broader push for digital transformation in public services, reads a press release.

Padma Bridge marks 3yrs of operation, over Tk2,500 crore toll collected

Officials say the move is aimed at making travel faster and more convenient, especially for regular commuters. It also marks the first time such a non-stop toll collection system is being piloted on a major infrastructure project in the country.

Here's how to pay

From now on, commuters with RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tags on their vehicles can pay toll at Padma Bridge without stopping at the toll booths.

RFID tags can be obtained from any office of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) across the country.

To use the ETC system, vehicle owners will have to first register their vehicles and recharge money into their accounts via the "D-Toll" feature in TAP, the mobile financial service app of Trust Bank.

Padma Bridge sets new records for daily toll collection, vehicle crossings

Following this, commuters will have to register and verify their RFID tags at the toll booths when they cross the bridge for the first time with the tags.

Once registered, users can drive through ETC lanes at speeds of at least 30 kms per hour, during which the system will automatically deduct the applicable toll from the user's account.

In the coming months, the government hopes to expand ETC compatibility to other financial apps, in addition to TAP. The a2i (Aspire to Innovate) Programme of the ICT Division is actively working to integrate more platforms into the system to ensure broader accessibility.