Road conditions are better than ever for Eid travel, says Quader

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader believes roads and highways across Bangladesh are in much better shape for the holiday travel rush this Eid than at any time in the past.

"I don't think the [traffic] problems we had in Gazipur will occur again as we've opened three flyovers. Vehicles are travelling regularly on the flyovers," the minister told reporters during a visit to the Gabtoli Inter-District Bus Terminal on Friday.

Quader said the authorities have overcome the long-lasting problems in travelling to and from the northern part of the country by constructing the Nalka Bridge. "I don't think there'll be any more trouble."

He blamed the "impatience" of drivers for the continuing traffic snarl-ups despite all the measures taken by the government, reports bdnews24.com. 

"They drive on the wrong side of the road whenever they see a slight traffic jam. It causes severe congestion in the entire area if only two or three cars end up on the wrong side of the road. We're looking into the matter."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been making queries about the situation on roads to ensure smooth journeys for homebound travellers during the Eid holidays, he said.

Meanwhile, a bus company called Selfie at Gabtoli Terminal has been caught charging passengers double the regular fare. The staff at the ticket counter claimed they paid Tk 1,000 in bribes to the police sergeant to sell tickets for each of their buses.

Asked about the matter, the minister said that it could be a stray incident and the authorities have deployed a workforce to monitor such incidents at all times.

"If something like this happens, we'll definitely deal with it,” he said.