Highways at standstill, severe pressure on ferries at Paturia, Shimulia

before-chandra

Thousands of home-goers got stuck on three major highways and different roads since early Thursday as busy highway face severe traffic chaos as holidaymakers make their last-hour journey to celebrate Eid ul-Azha.
Severe congestion occurred centring Chandra roundabout. As vehicles taking passengers from the highway‘s Gorai of Mirzapur, Dhauria, Tangail Bypass Ashekpur, Gharinda, Rabna Bypass and Elenga that also halted the vehicular movements.
The highway witnessed the gridlock as a bus and a truck collide head-on in Tangail‘s Pakulla area on the highway around 3:00am that created a 60-kilometer gridlock.
No one was killed in the accident but four people were injured. However, the traffic congestion became lessen around 6:00am.
On the other hand, unfit minibuses of Dhaka are plying on the long route causing immense tailback. These vehicles crocked on the midway adding suffering for the holidaymakers.
The pressure of cattle-laden trucks were also said to be another main reason behind traffic chaos on the highways.
In Gazipur, a 25-km tailback was created on Dhaka-Tangail Highway from Gazipur city to Mirzapur upazila in Tangail district in the morning,
Police said the tailback was created from Bogra Bypass intersection in the city to Mirzapur via Chandra Trimore point of Kaliakoar following an accident in Tangail and rush of home-bound people, leaving several thousand vehicles stranded.
Community police along with highway, traffic and district police have been working to keep the traffic flow normal.
In Savar, a 20-km tailback was created on Dhaka-Aricha highway from Aminbazar to Hemayetpur bus stand, Genda bus stand to Radio colony and Nabinagar to Dulibhita in Dhamrai.
Besides, a 15-km tailback was created on Nabinagar-Chandra highway from Nabinagar to Chandra intersection.
Tailbacks also were seen on Bypail-Abdullahpur road in Jirabo, Ashulia and Jamgora point due to the heavy pressure of vehicles.
Mahbub Khan, a graphic designer, said failing fetch tickets he and friends hired a microbus. Despite starting in the morning, they were yet to reach Chandra. ‘Long tailback is created and I do not know when we will be able to cross Chandra roundabout,’ he said.
On southern routes, severe pressure of vehicles is experienced at both ferry points of Shimulia-Kawrakandi route and Paturia-Daulatdia route.
At Shimulia point, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation has engaged all of its ferries to transport holidaymakers.
Despite a ban, small launches are seen ferrying passengers on roof. Speedboats are also carrying passengers without life-jacket.
BIWTC manager (commercial) at Shimulia Abdul Alim said they are operating all 18 ferries to face the pressure of vehicles. He said more than 500 buses, microbus and cars are waiting at the parking area in the morning and it takes a little more time to cross the river for them for maintaining serial.
At least five kilometers long traffic jam created at Paturia ferry point. Thousands of home bound passengers of south and south-western parts of the country face serious problem as they are waiting for long to get a chance cross the river Padma.
Though nine Ro-Ro ferries, three K-type ferries and six utility ferries are in operation on Paturia-Daulatdia route, BIWTC staff are struggling to ferry the vehicles as numbers of buses increased, said Sheikh Md Nasim, general manager (commerce) of BIWTC at Paturia. The ferries need almost double time than usual to cross the river because of to heavy current, he said.
Traffic inspector Abul Hossain said number of vehicles is increasing and it would trigger serious jam at Paturia.
Source: New Age