Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said the Padma Bridge has made the Eid journey of home-bound people of the south-western region easier and more comfortable.
"The people of the south-western region were able to go home smoothly to celebrate Eid-ul-Azha because of the newly launched Padma Bridge," he said while exchanging Eid greetings with the staff of his ministry and journalists at the conference room of the Road Transport and Highways Division at the Secretariat in Dhaka.
Quader, also the Awami League general secretary, said the condition of roads and highways was good during this Eid but there was a problem on a road in the northern region, which was not supposed to be.
ALSO READ - Amid tailbacks and higher fares, they head home
"It happened due to some management errors or lack of coordination. However, as a result of the Padma Bridge, the people of the south-western region were able to return home safely this time," he added.
The road transport minister said 43 accidents took place on the Bangabandhu Bridge in a day before the Eid.
"If a car falls in an accident on the Padma Bridge, there is enough space to move it. But there is no such space on the Bangabandhu Bridge," he added.
Quader said steps will be taken to minimise road accidents and tailback in the future considering the problems occurred on the roads this year.
There were some problems on the roads due to lack of coordination and management issues but it was not supposed to happen as a six-lane road was already completed there, he said.
The Awami League general secretary urged the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) and the Bangladesh Knitwear Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BKMEA) to grant the leaves for garment workers in phases.
About road accidents, he said the road accidents are occurring more in the country due to uncontrolled movement of motorbikes.
The government restricted the movement of motorcycles on highways but the bikers violated the government restrictions at many places, he added.
Quader said Kalna Bridge and the eighth China-Bangla Friendship Bridge at Bekutia will be inaugurated in September this year. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will open the two projects, he added.
Instructing the authorities concerned to accelerate the pace of the works of the ongoing road and bridge projects, he said initiatives have been taken to upgrade the Dhaka-Chattogram Highway into six-lane aiming to ease traffic congestion.
The minister also directed the authorities concerned to repair the roads damaged due to floods in Sylhet and other districts.
He hoped that the metro rail would be inaugurated in December this year while the Dhaka elevated expressway by the end of next year.
