Staff Reporter :
A total of 51,316 vehicles crossed the Padma Bridge on the first day of opening the bridge for vehicles. From those vehicles, Tk 20,940,300 was realised as toll between 6:00am Sunday and 6:00am Monday, said the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA).
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the bridge on Saturday and crossed it paying toll. But the bridge was opened for vehicles on Sunday morning.
Around 24,000 vehicles will use the bridge every day, a pre-construction projection report said. But on the first day, the number of vehicles used the bridge was more than double the number. The BBA sources said motorcycle was the most used vehicle on the first day. The authorities, however,
has banned the movement of motorcycle on the bridge from 6:00am Monday until the next order.
According to the bridge authority, on the first day 26,589 vehicles crossed through the Mawa point paying toll of Tk 10,895,900 while 24,727 vehicles crossed through the Zajira point paying toll of Tk Tk 10,404,400.
