Eid journeys: Unfit vehicles, crashes caused the most pain

The comparatively short Eid vacation and the ban on motorcycles on the highways resulted in high demand for public transport before Eid.

Taking advantage of the demand and lax law enforcement, many unfit vehicles and buses without route permits carried people across the country.

Many of the unfit vehicles broke down in the middle of the road causing congestion.

The journey towards northwestern districts was particularly miserable.

At least 53 incidents of broken vehicles, crashes and engines stalling after running out of fuel were reported from Bangabandhu bridge and its approach roads from July 7-9, said an officials at the Bangladesh Bridge Authority.

About 90 percent of the incidents occurred on the bridge on the Jamuna, causing long tailbacks on Dhaka-Tangail-Rangpur highway.

It takes between 15 and 20 minutes to tow away a vehicle from the bridge, and only one lane remains usable during the time, he said, adding that this causes long tailbacks on the link roads.

The congestion on the highway prompted thousands of people to choose railways and the train schedules fell apart due to the unexpected pressure of passengers. Some travellers had to wait for about 12 hours for their trains while thousands climbed to the rooftop of carriages.

At times on Friday, there were congestions on Dhaka-Chattogram highway in Madanpur, Dhaka-Sylhet highway between Kanchpur and Bhulta, and Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga expressway near the toll plazas.

Transport companies charged the travellers two or three times the usual fare, according to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity.

Officials, bus operators, holidaymakers and experts contacted by this newspaper corroborated the account.

But no visible action was taken to check it.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader yesterday said "flawed management and lack of coordination" were to blame for the tailbacks ahead of Eid.

UNFIT VEHICLES

According to data from January, over 5 lakh registered vehicles were on the road without a fitness certificate mainly due to poor monitoring by the authorities.

The unfit vehicles play a major role in creating congestions and crashes on highways, officials said.

But people's journey to the hometowns before that Eid was smoother as they got a nine-day vacation. But people got a four-day vacation this time.

Besides, thousands of people left Dhaka on motorcycles before Eid-ul-Fitr. But this time, the authorities imposed a ban on bikes for seven days from July 7.

"As a result, a large number of sub-standard vehicles without fitness clearances hit the highways while the authorities did not enforce the law properly," said an official from a control room of the Road Transport and Highway Division to monitor the roads during Eid.

Prominent transport expert Prof Shamsul Hoque said the road and transportation system was not capable to cope with the pressure of holidaymakers ahead of Eids.

The authorities' only emphasis is on the construction and maintenance of highways, not on operation, which is crucial for optimum use of highways, he said.

People got the benefit of access-controlled Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga expressway and the toll collection must be automated to let people get its full benefit, he added.

The authorities should make other major highways access-controlled to prevent indiscipline, he said.

Buses that operate on the major corridors should be brought under some particular companies to prevent unhealthy competition.