Toll collection crosses Tk 5 crore in three weeks

Authorities of Dhaka Elevated Expressway have collected more than Tk 5 crore in tolls in the three weeks since opening of the expressway, which has been witnessing higher traffic than estimated.

Till 6:00am on September 24, a total of 6,21,152 vehicles, mostly private cars, used the expressway and the total revenue collection amounted to over Tk 5.03 crore, said project director of the Dhaka Elevated Expressway AHMS Akhtar.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on September 2 inaugurated the Airport-Farmgate segment of Dhaka Elevated Expressway after paying a Tk 2,000 toll for 25 vehicles in her motorcade. Each vehicle was charged Tk 80.

Authorities opened the Airport-Farmgate section for vehicular movement at 6:00am on September 3. It takes only 10-12 minutes to reach Farmgate from the airport via the expressway.

"We assumed earlier that on average around 20,000 vehicles would use the expressway daily but now the number has increased to around 30,000 vehicles," said the project director AHMS Akhtar.

When fully completed, the Dhaka Elevated Expressway will run from the capital‍‍`s Kawla to Kutubkhali area of Dhaka-Chattogram highway via Kuril-Banani-Mohakhali-Tejgaon-Moghbazar-Kamalapur-Sayedabad-Jatrabari.

"We hope when it is completed, about 80,000 vehicles will be able to use Dhaka Elevated Expressway every day," Akhtar told UNB.

Replying to a question, the project director said vehicles can run at a speed of up to 80 km/h according to the design of the expressway but they have limited it up to 60 km/h, and 40 km/h on the ramp.

They are yet to start enforcing law against violators of speed limit, although CCTV cameras and other equipment have already been installed on the expressways.

Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) has been running buses on the Dhaka Elevated Expressway starting from September 18. Passengers are now crossing the Dhaka Elevated Expressway for just Tk35.