Traffic congestions, train delays, crammed ferries make Eid travels chaotic

Eid-ul-Azha holidaymaking has turned nightmarish for those who left Dhaka on Friday as they had to wait for hours on highways due to traffic congestions while trains ran behind schedule and ferries were overcrowded.

Many of those who took the Dhaka-Aricha Highway said they had to suffer for up to seven hours while it generally takes maximum two and a half hours to cross the distance.

Moreover, after reaching Paturia pier in Manikganj, motorists waited for two to three hours to get on the ferries.

A 25-kilometre tailback was there on the highway from Nayadingi to Teprha at 8pm.

Barongail Highway Police OC Yeamin-E-Daula said the pressure of Eid travellers coupled with disorderly driving led to the traffic congestions, which turned massive after 2pm.

Owners sent many unfit vehicles to the highway, some of which broke down and halted traffic on the highway, the OC said.

On the Dhaka-Tangail Highway, potholes created during Thursday’s rains and pressure of vehicles on Bangabandhu Bridge’s toll plaza forced vehicles to go slow throughout the day,, even to halt for some time and ultimately get caught in huge traffic jams.

Up to 30 kilometres on both sides of the bridge connecting 23 northern districts were experiencing traffic jam at 10:30pm.

Over 30,000 vehicles crossed the bridge from 6am on Thursday to 6am on Friday while the number remains around 15,000 usually, according to an official.

At Kamalapur Railway Station, thousands of passengers, especially those travelling to the northern and southwestern districts, waited for trains for hours.

Risky rides on train roof continued as the coaches got packed within moments after arrival.

A halt of train services to the northern and southwestern regions for two and a half hours due to derailment of a coach in Tangail made the situation worse.

The experience was almost similar for those travelling to the southern districts by launch.

Many of the ferries that left Dhaka’s Sadarghat Launch Terminal on Friday carried passengers on the roof, with the cabins and decks packed.

Shipping Secretary Abdus Samad, during a visit to the terminal in the evening, said the authorities were forcing passengers to leave the roofs of the vessels but the holidaymakers returned as they were already waiting for two to three hours.