In 24 hours on the first day of the opening on Sunday, a total of 51,316 vehicles crossed the Padma Bridge and a total of Tk 20,940,300 was collected as toll, said an official of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority.
They said Tk 10,895,900 from 26,589 vehicles which crossed the Mawa toll plaza in 24 hours after the bridge was opened to traffic while 24,727 more vehicles crossed the Janjira toll plaza at this time and Tk 10,044,400 was collected.
The country's longest bridge was opened for vehicular movement at 6:00am Sunday.
Meanwhile, the authorities imposed a ban on Sunday evening on the movement of motorbikes from 6:00am on Monday to until further order.
The ban was imposed after two bikers were killed on the bridge on the first day of the opening.
Besides, the authorities have imposed various restrictions for the sake of smooth and safe traffic movement.
As part of the additional security measures and monitoring of the vehicular movement, personnel from the Bangladesh Army have started patrolling the bridge while a mobile court also started operation against those who were found to be breaking the rules and violating the directives.
According to witnesses, none was allowed to cross the bridge on foot while the mobile court fined several people for making Tiktok videos and other violations of the directives.
According to sources, many of the people were found to disobey the rules. Some of them were found to pee on the bridge while two other youths were seen unscrewing some nuts off the bridge.
Moreover, many others were found violating the speed limits causing accidents.
Officials of the Padma Bridge project said that authorities concerned asked the Engineering Support and Safety Team (ESST) to beef up vigilance on the upper deck of the Padma Bridge and on both sides.
Project Director Shafiqul Islam said that he sent a letter to the chief coordinator of ESST in this regard.
Bangladesh Army is providing the engineering support and safety service for the project.
In his letter, Shafiqul Islam said some users of the bridge have been stealing and damaging important goods or equipment on the bridge deck soon after it was opened to the public early Sunday, even though getting down from vehicles on the bridge is completely prohibited.
Some of them are even damaging equipment after entering the Mawa and Zajira end of the bridge, he wrote.
"We have given the letter considering many reasons. People are walking on the bridge which may also cause accidents," he said.
The development comes at a time when the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Sunday arrested a youth who was seen unscrewing nuts and bolts from the railing of Padma Bridge in a viral TikTok video.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the long-cherished bridge on Saturday, ending the long wait for direct communication between the capital and the South and Southwestern districts.
