Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday said all the roads which have been damaged by Cyclone Remal have to be repaired with at least a week in hand before Eid-ul-Adha,
Also, construction work on new roads will also be halted for a week – three days before Eid, Eid day and three days after Eid, the minister told this while speaking at a preparatory meeting aimed at making travel before Eid-ul-Adha smooth and safe. The minister also said, monitoring has to be strengthened to ensure cattle haats do not extend on the roads.
Trucks, covered vans and lorries, except those carrying perishable goods and cattle, will not run on highways for three days before and three days after Eid, he also added.
There were an increased number of accidents after Eid-ul-Fitr, which generated a lot of criticism in the parliament. It is very concerning, said the minister.
The minister directed the authorities concerned to strengthen monitoring on the roads and highways to prevent the incidence of accidents during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
"Due to lax in surveillance on roads after Eid, the number of road accidents goes up. These accidents are grave concerns for us. Monitoring on roads should be increased to prevent recurrence of road accidents," he said.
Quader, also the Awami League general secretary, said attention should be paid to preventing bus helpers from driving. "If the helpers operate vehicles, there will be accidents," he added.
He said various city points, including the entrance of Dhaka, should be kept under extra vigilance and sufficient vehicles will remain available to keep the Eid journey smooth and free of traffic jam.
The road transport and bridges minister asked the authorities concerned to take measures to ensure smooth movement of vehicles on the city's Hanif flyover.
Urging the bus owners not to charge extra fare from homebound people during the Eid, he said many ordinary passengers do not have enough money to pay extra fare and that is why the bus owners have been requested to strictly monitor the situation so that none can collect excessive fare from the passengers.
Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) also does so, he added.
Quader said during the Eid-ul-Azha, there is pressure on roads due to cattle-laden vehicles, so additional attention should be given to the vehicles carrying sacrificial animals.
He said animal-carrying vehicles will run at a slow speed but those must have fitness.
The road transport minister said when garments workers get leave ahead of Eid, they become desperate to go to their homes. BRTC vehicles should be kept there to address the situation by providing necessary vehicles for workers, he added.
He said special surveillance should be there so that no one can ride motorcycle without a helmet.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, Bridges Division Secretary Md. Monjur Hossain, Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) Managing Director MAN Siddique, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Nur Mohammad Mazumder, BRTC Chairman Md Tajul Islam, Roads and Highways Department Chief Engineer Syed Moinul Hasan, Additional Inspector General of Police Md Atiqul Islam, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners' Association President Mashiur Rahman Ranga and its Secretary General Khandaker Enayet Ullah were, among others, were present at the meeting.
No trucks, lorries ply highways for 7-day marking Eid-ul-Azha
The movements of heavy vehicles such as trucks, covered vans and lorries except sacrificial animal-laden vehicles will remain suspended on the highways for seven days beginning from three days ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to ensure hassle-free travel for holidaymakers.
All CNG refueling stations across the country will remain open round the clock for 12 days beginning from seven days ahead of Eid-ul-Azha.
The decision was taken at a meeting held at BRTA Bhaban today with Road Transport and Bridges minister Obaidul Quader in the chair.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary ABM Amin Ullah Nuri, Bridges Division Secretary Md Manjur Hossain, DMTCL Managing Director MAN Siddique, BRTA Chairman Nur Mohammad Majumder, BRTC Chairman Md Tajul Islam, Roads and Highways Department Chief Engineer Syed Mainul Hasan, Additional Inspector General of Bangladesh Police Md Atiqul Islam, Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association (BRTWA) President Mashiur Rahman Ranga and its Secretary General Khandaker Enayetullah attended the meeting, among others.
