Padma Bridge: Tk 19.76 million toll collected on 2nd day

A total of Tk 19.76 million (1,97,56,600) was realised from Padma Bridge as tolls on the second day of its opening to the public.

The number of vehicles crossing the bridge between 6:00am Monday and 6:00am Tuesday dropped to 15,274 from the 61,856 vehicles on the first day.

The number of vehicles dropped significantly as the government banned the movement of motorbikes from 6:00am on Monday after two bikers were killed in an accident and other mismanagements on the first day.

A total of Tk 27.5 million was realized as tolls on the first day.

According to the bridge authority, 7,586 vehicles crossed through the Mawa point paying toll of Tk 98,18,050 on the second day while 7,688 vehicles crossed through the Zajira point paying toll of Tk 99,38,550.

Bangladesh Bridge Authority’s supervising engineer Tofazzal Hossain told Prothom Alo on Tuesday morning that there is no pressure of vehicles on the Mawa end and the vehicular movement is normal through the bridge.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the bridge on Saturday and crossed it paying toll. But the bridge was opened for vehicles on Sunday morning.

Around 24,000 vehicles will use the bridge every day, a pre-construction projection report said.

A projection on the number of vehicles to use the Padma Bridge and toll to be realised from them was made in the feasibility study of the Padma Bridge Project in 2005.

Later, in 2010, the consultancy firm that prepared the design of the bridge drew up a chart on the number of vehicles to use the bridge in first 35 years and income from those vehicles. Based on this, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority signed a loan agreement with the finance ministry in August 2019. It detailed the income, expenditure and profit.

As per the projection, around 23,954 vehicles would cross the Padma Bridge every day in the first year. In 2029, the number will be increased to 34,725, which will be 66,829 in 2050.

The consultants fixed the rate of increase of the number of vehicles taking into consideration the number of vehicles cross the river by ferry, growth of the country’s economy and per capita income, road communication development and future development plans.