The government has given priority to reduce accidents on highways and roads during the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister and Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader made this comment on Tuesday.
“Reducing road accidents on highways and roads during the Eid-ul-Azha will be top priority. To this end, supervision of Road Transport and Highways Division will also be kept strengthened after the Eid as well,” he said.
The minister was addressing a meeting with concerned stakeholders on ‘making the upcoming Eid journey smoother’ at second Meghna bridge construction yard at Gazaria upazila in Munshiganj.
Road Transport and Highways Division Secretary Md Nazrul Islam, Road and Highways Department Chief Engineer Ebne Alam Hasan, BRTA Chairman Md Mashiur Rahman, BRTC Chairman Farid Ahmed Bhuiyan, DIG of Highway Range of Police Md Atiqul Islam, deputy commissioners and superintendents of police of Dhaka and its adjoining districts, BGMEA and BKMEA representatives and transports owner and worker leaders attended the meeting.
Quader said cattle markets cannot be set up beside roads and highways ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to make journey of home-goers smoother. Sacrificial animals can be carried by unfit vehicles, he added.
He said plying of heavy vehicles will remain stooped at highways in three days prior to Eid and CNG stations across the country will remain open 24 hours before and after four days of Eid-ul-Fitr.
About the traffic congestion, the minister expressed his optimism that the homebound people will not face traffic jam in highways during the Eid-ul-Azha as like as the Eid-ul-Fitr.
He said there will be no traffic congestion on Dhaka-Chittagong highways after the inauguration of second Kanchpur, Meghna and Meghna-Gumti bridges, reports BSS.
Quader said traffic congestion has reduced on Dhaka-Tangail highway as it has already been upgraded to four-lane from Gazipur to Elenga.
Replying to a question of newsmen, the AL general secretary said BNP now wants to cash in on the quota reforms movement after failing in the anti-government movement.
“BNP’s daydreaming of going to power by capitalising on the quota reforms movement would never be materialized,” he added.