Long-distance bus operators expressed concern about the current state management of highways and urged the government to improve it to make Eid time journeys comfortable for millions of passengers during the country’s biggest religious festival.
They said that millions passengers would face problems reaching home unless wrecked vehicles were immediately removed after they met accidents on the highways.
They said that the highways must be kept free of congestions created by wrecked vehicles.
Otherwise, they said, millions of city dwellers who just started to leave Dhaka would face problem reaching home to celebrate Eid.
They said that the districts administrations in Dhaka, Manikganj, Tangail, Gazipur, Narayanganj, Munshiganj, Comilla, and the highways police should be earnest in making the home-bound journeys hazardless for the people.
The bus operators are worried how far they can maintain the trip schedules for the Eid time passengers if the traffic management on the highways remained as it was in the previous years,’ Hanif Enterprise general manager Abdus Samad Mondol told New Age.
He suggested for improving the traffic management before and after Eid.
Meanwhile, concerned government officials has started holding coordination meetings to improve highway traffic management to ensure hassle free journeys for the home-bound passengers.
At a meeting with the launch owners, shipping minister Shajahan Khan asked deputy commissioners and police superintendents to take stern action against extortions and illegal toll collections at ferry terminals on all major river routes across the country.
The officials, however, said that they were less worried this year as the home-bound people would get enough time from August 14, to leave the capital to celebrate Eid, due on August 20.
The highway police held reckless driving responsible for highway accidents to cause sudden traffic congestions.
Highway police additional superintendent of police (east zone) Md Asfiquzzaman Akter told New Age that highway police already stepped up their activities to tackle Eid time’s huge traffic.
He said that the highway police were aware that wrecked or inoperative vehicles had to be immediately removed from the highways during the days of extra rush.
He said that all ranks of the highway had been instructed to patrol the highways to make Eid time journeys safe.
SP of Manikganj Mizanur Rahman said he deployed additional police contingents at all strategic points on the Dhaka-Aricha Highway.
Most of the long-distance bus operators will start selling advance tickets from August 3 and booking of airlines tickets has almost been completed.
Some of the bus operators said they would soon announce when they would begin to sell advance tickets for Eid time passengers.
Launch operators have started selling tickets only to the ‘VIP’ passengers, some owners said.
Bangladesh Inland Waterways (Passengers Carrier’s) Association at a meeting on Monday decided to sell tickets from August 5, the association senior vice president, Badiuzzaman Badal, told New Age.
Tickets of all the three airline companies, Bangladesh Biman, Regent Airways and United Airlines, operating domestic flights will soon be sold out as bookings are going on fast, said the officials.
Bangladesh Railways director-general Abu Taher told New Age that the railway would very soon announce its ticket-selling schedule on major dailies.
-With New Age input
