Around Tk 25 lakh in tolls was collected as some 7,000 vehicles went through the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel under the Karnaphuli River in Chattogram from 8:00am to 8:00pm on Friday.
Tanvir Rifat, assistant engineer (toll and traffic) of the tunnel, shared the information with UNB.
The pressure of vehicles was high on the first weekly holiday since the tunnel`s opening as thousands of commuters thronged it — causing traffic congestion on both sides, he said.
Vehicles took 30 to 45 minutes to cross the tunnel instead of the usual 3.5 minutes due to the heavy traffic.
Belayet Hossain, toll manager of the tunnel, said the high number of commuters in vehicles contributed to the traffic gridlock on Friday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the country`s first underwater tunnel on October 28.
Tk 12.1 lakh was collected as toll, as 5,429 vehicles used the tunnel on the first day it opened to traffic (October 29).
On the second day, some 3,205 vehicles went through the tunnel and Tk 7.1 lakh was collected as toll.
The tunnel opened for vehicular movement at 6:00 am on October 29. Traffic movement remained low due to the ongoing countrywide hartal.
As many as 14 boxes were set up at Anwara end to collect the toll.
A total of 12 categories of vehicles will be able to go through the Bangabandhu Tunnel.
The minimum toll for traffic movement in the tunnel has been set at Tk 200, and the maximum is Tk 1,000. Motorcycles or three-wheelers are allowed in the Bangabandhu Tunnel.
