Elevated expressway to open to public only after curfew is lifted

The Dhaka Elevated Expressway will remain closed to public until the government lifts the curfew fully, the operating company said today.

First Dhaka Elevated Expressway Company Ltd (FDEE), which operates the expressway, took the decision after two toll booths of the expressway were burnt down by miscreants during the recent unrest centring the quota reform movement.

Captain (retd) Hasib Hasan Khan, manager (operations and maintenance) of FDEE, told The Daily Star about the development today.

He said miscreants torched the Banani toll booth on July 18 and the Mohakhali toll booth the following day. The expressway's operations have been suspended since July 18.

"The expressway is operated by a consortium of foreign countries. So, the authority has decided to keep the operation of the expressway suspended until the curfew is lifted fully," he said.

Replying to another question, he said the two ramps where the toll plazas were burnt would be kept closed even after lifting of the curfew.

The company is considering opening the Banani ramp with manual toll collection, but that has not yet been finalised, he said

Replying to another question, he said the company incurred around Tk 50 crore loss due the torching of the two toll plazas.

The first elevated expressway was opened to traffic partially from Airport area to Farmgate in September last year and the FDC gate was opened early this year, giving much relief to the city commuters.

Over 50,000 vehicles used the flyover daily on an average and they used to collect Tk 40 to 45 lakh toll daily, Hasib said.