Tk 603.76 cr earned from Padma Bridge in 9 months

Staff Correspondent: Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said Tk 603.76 crore was earned from Padma Bridge as toll in the last nine months.
He gave the information during the question-answer session in the Jatiya Sangsad yesterday. The House began with Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
In a table question of Benazir Ahmed, a treasury bench member, the bridge minister said that after inauguration of the Padma Bridge on June 25, 2022, Tk 603 crore 76 lakh toll was collected till last March.
He said that after opening of the Bangabandhu Bridge on June 23, 1998, Tk 7,697.71 crore was realized till March, while Tk 205.50 crore was collected after inauguration of the Muktarpur Bridge on 18 February 2008.
Responding to another question of treasury bench member M Abdul Latif, Obaidul Quader said there is no research program going on to prevent road accidents in the country now. However, with the financial assistance of the World Bank, Bangladesh Road Safety Program project has been prepared at a cost of $360 million, which is in the process of approval, he added.
The project is under process for approval by the Planning Commission. If the project is approved then it will be implemented by November 30, 2027, he said.
Replying to another treasury bench member Morshed Alam’s question, Obaidul Quader said that about 6,000 buses of various private transport companies, including BRTC, have been plying in Dhaka city.
“E-ticketing has been launched, under the supervision of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, in 3,300 buses of 69 companies out of 97 private transport companies. The BRTA is monitoring all these activities,” he said.
The minister said the e-ticketing system will be introduced in the remaining buses soon and the service will also be introduced in Chattogram city in phases.