72-hour ultimatum to stop toll collection on Buriganga bridge

Transport owners, workers and CNG auto-rickshaw drivers gave on Saturday a 72-hour ultimatum to the government for stopping collection of toll from the Buriganga Bridge-1. Otherwise, they will launch a tougher movement, sources said.  
"We have urged the government to resolve the issue. We want to toll collection from the bridge should stop. If our demands are not fulfilled, then we will be compelled to go for tougher movement," said a leader of the transport sector at Keraniganj upazila in Dhaka.
He claimed that the local people living on both sides of the bridge are with them and will continue their movement if their demand is not met.
He said normally toll collection from a bridge could be stopped after ten years of its inception.
He said other bridges on the river Buriganga stopped collecting toll since 2004.  
The Buriganga Bridge-1, which is widely known as 'Postogola Bridge', or officially known as Bangladesh- China Friendship Bridge-1 was built in 1988.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges decided to increase the toll on the bridge in January last. The ministry had fixed July 24 for collecting increased toll.  
At present, buses, trucks and trailer trucks have to pay toll ranging from Tk 20 to Tk 40 for using the bridge for one time.
Rickshaw, van, motorcycle and CNG three-wheeler do not need to pay right now.  But the proposed toll hike has suggested inclusion of these transports under the purview of toll collection.
Transport owners, workers and drivers of CNG three-wheelers again laid a siege to the highway at Ekuria at Keraniganj portion of the Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge-1 from early morning on Saturday that led to huge traffic jams and thus caused untold sufferings to the passengers, according to the travellers.  
This halted normal vehicular movement from the capital to different destinations in southern districts.
Hundreds of vehicles (passenger buses, goods-laden trucks and private cars) were stranded at both sides of the bridge (Postogola and Keraniganj portions), according to police and local people.
Hundreds of passengers were compelled to walk on foot to cross the bridge to reach their respective destinations, causing immense physical and mental anguish.
Earlier on July 25, transport workers and local people laid a siege to the bridge demanding stoppage of collection of increased toll.
Later, they withdrew the siege following a meeting between transport representatives and government officials. The meeting decided to suspend collection of increased toll (proposed) temporarily for 15 days. And since then there was no discernible progress over settlement of the issue, forcing the agitators to go for movement.   
An official of South Keraniganj police station told the FE on Saturday that transport workers laid siege of the highway since early morning on the day. But he informed a very few private cars were allowed to ply on the bridge.
The negotiations between the transport sector representatives and government officials were going on until filing of the report at 7:30 pm.
"The negotiations between transport owners, workers, CNG auto-rickshaw drivers and officials of the Road Transport and Highways Division, local leaders of the ruling party and law-enforcing agencies are going on. Vehicular movement is still suspended. We are not sure when it will resume," an official of the South Keraniganj police station, who wished not to be named, told the FE on Saturday.    
talhabinhabib@yahoo.com