Padma Bridge: Gazette fixing toll published

The bridges division has officially fixed tolls for different vehicles crossing the Padma Bridge.

The toll for long-haul bus has been fixed at Tk 2,400 and Tk 2,800 for a medium truck and Tk 100 for a motorbike, according to a gazette notification issued by the bridges division on Tuesday.

As per the toll chart, vehicles have to spend one and a half times higher than they currently spend to cross the river on ferry. In comparison to the second-largest bridge, the Bangabandhu Bridge, the toll is about double.

Besides, the toll for car and jeep will be Tk 750 while Tk 1,200 for pick-up van, Tk 1,300 for microbus, Tk 1,400 for small bus, Tk 2,000 for medium size bus, Tk 1,600 for small-size truck, Tk 2,100 for semi medium truck, and Tk 5,500 toll for large truck at the bridge.

A proposal was sent to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 28 April to fix the price chart and she approved without bringing any change into it.

The authorities are all set to open the bridge to traffic by the end of June and are currently putting finishing touches to the structure.

Sources said two murals with a common height of 40 feet are being erected on Mawa and Jazira ends of the bridge. These would contain portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and PM Sheikh Hasina.

Work is going on there round the clock. Everything will be ready by June, said the project officials.

The bridges division appointed two foreign companies– Korea express corporation (KEC) and China’s major bridge engineering company (MBEC) – for toll collection and maintenance of the bridge.

The two companies would introduce modern vehicle management systems at the both ends of the bridge and carry out river training and necessary maintenance works. They will be paid Tk 693 crore in this regard.