Gridlocks, slow traffic make journey miserable to north; relative ease to southern routes

Thousands of Eid holidaymakers of the northern region are suffering from an intolerably long wait for buses at Dhaka’s Gabtoli and Kalyanpur terminals due to a gridlock in Tangail and slow traffic movement in Sirajgnj.

Vehicles are not returning to the capital from the northern districts because of the congestion on the highways near Tangail and adjoining areas. On the other hand, traffic has been slowed down on a 21-kilometre stretch in Sirajganj.

However, the scenario was totally different on the highways to the southern districts. Passengers and transporters said they were facing no traffic congestion or any long wait at the counters.

Meanwhile, Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader has called the 'slow' highway traffic ‘bearable’.

But his claims did not reflect the words of the staff at bus ticket counters for different Rajshahi and Rangpur districts on Saturday morning.

They said their buses were not returning to Dhaka on time due to the massive tailbacks in Tangail, Gazipur and Sirajganj. That’s why the delayed in departures, they said.

The situation on the highways improved later in the night, officials said.

SR Travel Assistant General Manager TR Plabon told bdnews24.com around 9:30pm that the buses were returning "faster at night than morning hours as traffic congestions eased".

Bangabandhu Bridge West Police Station OC Mohammad Daud said around 8pm that the "extra" pressure of vehicles started to dissolve in the afternoon.

"Now we are relaxed a bit," he said.

In Sirajganj, Hatikumrul Highway Police Station OC Abdul Quader Jilani told bdnews24.com that the pressure was higher on a five-kilometre stretch of the highway near a bridge in the area.

"But there is not much problem. The vehicles are moving a little bit slow," he added.

Traffic congestions took place in the capital's Kalyanpur when the workers of a garment factory started a demonstration demanding wages due for three months. They left the street after police assured them of a negotiation with the owners.

Earlier in the morning, a Hanif Paribahan bus driver said "it usually takes seven hours to come to Dhaka from northern district Gaibandha. But his vehicle started at 6:30pm Friday and arrived here at 7am Saturday."

Both ticket counter staff and passengers have said that departure of every bus was delayed by at least three to four hours.

 A Joypurhat-bound Shyamali Paribahan bus scheduled for 7am left Kalyanpur at 9am, while a Naogaon-bound bus scheduled for 7am did not even arrive in Dhaka until 9am.

Abdur Rahman Sumon of Naogaon told bdnews24.com, “I’ve been waiting here since 6:30am. Traffic jam is blamed for the delay. What can I do except waiting?”

One Rafiqul Islam of Gaibandha was found waiting for his 9:30am Hanif Paribahan bus. Around 10am, Hanif’s counter manager Raisul Alam Sabuj told bdnews24.com that bus was still stuck in a gridlock at Gazipur’s Chandra.

“We’re trying to manage our non-AC buses and use them. We had to use in the morning four buses that were scheduled for the night as the AC buses didn’t arrive on time. Traffic jams in different areas are causing this delay.”

The 21-kilometre stretch of the road from Bangabandhu Bridge to Sirajganj’s Hatikumrul, where vehicles were moving at snail’s pace, only has two lanes, Hatikumrul Highway Police’s Sergeant Abdul Gani told bdnews24.com.

 “Vehicles, going to Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and districts in Khulna are on this road. Their numbers have increased due to the Eid rush, and that has led to the slow pace,” he said.

Traffic in moving at a slow pace too at Mirzapur’s Dherua rail crossing, Rasulpur, Elenga, Gorai, Suvolla, Karatia and Pakulla areas in Tangail due to the rundown and potholed condition of the road.

Tangail’s Superintendent of Police Mahbub Alam claimed that there was no major gridlock on the east side of Bangabandhu Bridge until 10am.

Comfort on the way to south

The south-bound passengers enjoyed more comfort on Saturday than that of the north.

They said they did not have to wait for long at the counters and on the way as there were enough buses and no gridlock.

Comilla Highway Police Sub-Inspector Shafiqul Islam said a four-kilometre portion of Dhaka-Chittagong Highway from Meghna-Gomati Bridge Toll Plaza to Razarhat was prone to traffic congestions.

"Some traffic congestions took place until Friday morning and started to ease in the afternoon. The entire highway was free from gridlocks on Saturday," he said.

A passenger, Roksana Begum, told bdnews24.com that she started from Dhaka for Comilla in the afternoon and the journey took only one and half hours. "And without any traffic jam," she added.

Less traffic snarl, tolerable slow pace: Quader

Road Transport Minister Obaidul Quader has claimed again that the Eid holidaymakers were going home more comfortable this year as there were no traffic jams anywhere.

Amidst reports of massive tailbacks on Dhaka-Tangail Highway leading to the northern region of Bangladesh, he said, “The rate of gridlocks at Chandra is less than what it was in the last 10 years. Traffic is moving slowly, but that’s tolerable.”

He was speaking to reporters while visiting Gabtoli Bus Terminal in the morning.

Responding to a query, the minister said, “The situation on the highways is better than any time in the past. Passengers are suffering less. Traffic is slow in some places today, but that is because of the extra rush. I hope the people will accept that.”

He claimed the sufferings of the holidaymakers were ‘tolerable’.