Advance bus tickets for Eid from May 17

Holidaymakers’ journey ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr this year will be smooth compared to previous years, Nazrul Islam, secretary of Road Transport and Highway Division, claimed yesterday.

“This year, condition of the highways is relatively better than previous years and we can hope holidaymakers would have largely hassle-free commute,” the secretary said.

He was speaking to journalists after a preparatory meeting of the division -- on ensuring safe and hassle-free Eid travel.

No truck, lorry will ply highways for three days before Eid, the secretary said, adding that vehicles carrying daily essentials and emergency medicine will be out of purview of the instruction.

He said they would ask the power and energy division to take necessary steps to ensure that the CNG refuelling stations across the country remain open round-the-clock seven days before and five days after Eid.

Besides, three vigilance teams will remain active round-the-clock to make sure that no passenger is charged extra bus fare during Eid journey, Nazrul Islam said.

He also said they would ask the authorities concerned to grant their garment workers leave in phases for the sake of smooth traffic. Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will incorporate more buses this year to provide service on the occasion of Eid, he added.

Nazrul Islam said the second bridge on Shitalakkhya river has already been opened and two new bridges on Meghna and Gumti rivers on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway would be opened before Eid. Renovation works of the old bridges will start after Eid, he added.

Top officials of Road Transport and Highway Division, Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA), Roads and Highways Department, BRTC, police, highway police, transport leaders and workers were present at the meeting. 

Private bus operators will start selling advance tickets from May 17, ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The decision was taken following a meeting of Bangladesh Bus Truck Owners Association yesterday, Romesh Chandra Ghosh, chairman of the association, told The Daily Star.

“Tickets would be sold from the morning of May 17, at the rate fixed by the government, and there is no scope of charging extra,” he said.

Bangladesh Railway will begin sale of advance train tickets from May 22.