Toll hike on 50 bridges from July 1: risk of adverse impact on transport sector

The Dhaka Times Desk Toll will increase on 50 bridges from July 1. At present, the road and township department collects tolls from 61 bridges in the country. Those concerned believe that the collection of additional tolls on bridges will have an adverse effect on the transport sector.

On March 24, the cabinet decided to increase the toll on 50 bridges across the country. A policy has been formulated in this regard. In this new policy, the amount of toll collection has been fixed up to Tk 1025 according to the vehicle. As a result, many people think that transport owners can charge extra fares for goods and passenger transport to cover the additional cost of tolls. As a result, there may be chaos in the transport sector again. Earlier, there was no policy regarding toll collection on different bridges, as a result of which there were complaints of arbitrary toll collection at different places. According to the new policy, the toll rate will be determined according to the length, location and type of vehicles of the bridge.

Important roads in the country are divided into three tiers in this policy: National Highways, Regional Highways and District Roads. It is also divided into several parts according to length. For example: more than 1000 m, 751-1000 m, 501-750 m and 201-500 m. The toll rate on bridges increased from 2.27 percent to 1025 percent based on road location and length. According to the new policy, the toll rate of Meghna Bridge, Gomti Bridge on Dhaka-Chittagong highway will be doubled than before. In this case, previously the toll for trucks was 800 taka, but now the additional toll amount will be 1500 taka. Similarly, the bus toll on these two bridges was previously Tk 400 but now its toll will be Tk 650. In case of microbus, the toll has increased from Tk 140 to Tk 300. According to an information released by the Roads and Township Department, the toll amount of 11 bridges of the country will be reduced than before under this new policy. The Secretary of the Roads Department of the Ministry of Communications said regarding this new policy, the toll of some bridges may increase but the toll of some bridges will decrease. Besides, attention will be paid to ensure that there is no chaos in the transport sector under the influence of this policy.

Meanwhile, the Exporters Association of Bangladesh has strongly criticized the increase in the amount of toll on two bridges of the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. According to them, these two bridges are mostly used for import and export. As a result, if the toll amount of these two bridges increases, it will have an adverse effect on the import and export sector. Because this will increase the rent of transport vehicles which will affect the manufacturing sector. Production traders will be affected. It is claimed by the association that if the government has given concessions to the transporters engaged in import and export business, then the businessmen engaged in import and export business will not be affected.

In this new policy, the toll amount will increase more on major bridges. In this case, the toll rate of Lalon Shah Bridge or Pakshi Bridge on Ishwardi-Kushtia Road and Khan Jahan Ali Bridge or Rupsa Bridge in Khulna will increase by 250 percent. The current toll for big trucks on these two bridges will be Tk 750 as against Tk 250 earlier. In case of buses, the toll amount on these two bridges will be Tk 340 which was Tk 150 earlier. This same rate of toll will be applicable on Bangladesh-UK Friendship Bridge or Bhairab Bridge on Dhaka-Sylhet highway. In case of Buriganga Bridge on the way to the capital, the truck toll amount will be Tk 270 which was Tk 30 earlier. In this case, the amount of toll has increased by 600 percent. In almost every bridge in the country, increasing the toll rate will have an impact on the market management. Because many people are fearing that the price of raw market products, import-export products will increase along with the increase in the rent of the transport sector.

Experts feel that the toll should be increased by taking all factors into consideration. If not, the general public will have to pay the price if the price of goods skyrockets.