The government has taken comprehensive preparations to ensure safe and hassle-free travel by road, rail and waterways ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, with stern warnings against extortion and overcharging of passengers.

The decisions were announced at a views-exchange meeting held at the conference room of the Road Transport and Highways Division on Thursday.

Officials said repair and maintenance works on national highways, key corridors and major roads under Dhaka North and South City Corporations will be completed at least 10 days before Eid.

To strengthen passenger safety, CCTV cameras will be installed at key bus terminals in the capital, including Sadarghat, Mohakhali, Sayedabad, Gabtoli and Fulbaria. These terminals will be connected to control rooms of the Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) and police for centralised monitoring.

District, upazila and metropolitan road safety committees will hold meetings before Eid to ensure necessary measures for maintaining discipline and road safety.

To prevent overcharging and carrying excess passengers, mobile courts will be operated in coordination with BRTA, police, city corporations, district administrations, Roads and Highways Department, upazila administrations, and representatives of transport owners’ and workers’ associations.

Authorities will also remove temporary and makeshift roadside markets and strictly prohibit passenger transport in goods-laden vehicles.

To ease congestion at toll plazas, Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) booths will remain operational round the clock.

The Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) will operate special Eid services. Except for vehicles carrying essential commodities, movement of trucks, covered vans and lorries on highways will remain suspended for three days before and three days after Eid.

CNG and fuel filling stations will remain open 24 hours a day from seven days before Eid to five days after Eid, including Eid day.

Industrial units, including garment factories, have been urged to grant holidays to workers in phases to avoid excessive passenger pressure at one time.

A central control room will remain operational for seven days—from three days before Eid to three days after—to monitor and coordinate Eid travel. The control room can be reached at telephone number 16107 and mobile numbers 01550051606 and 01550056577.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Robiul Alam, MP, said the administration, police, transport owners and workers would remain more vigilant than ever to ensure smooth Eid travel.

“Nearly 15 million people are expected to leave Dhaka for their homes within a short span of time. Managing such a huge passenger flow is a major challenge, but we will utilise our full capacity to ensure a comfortable Eid journey,” he said.

Responding to a question on extortion, the minister said there would be no room for extortion or collection of excess fares on highways.

“Strict directives have already been issued. Exemplary action will be taken if any complaint of overcharging beyond the approved fare is found,” he said, adding that mobile courts would also act against unfit and faulty vehicles.

Alternative transport arrangements will be kept ready if necessary, while police and relevant agencies will work round the clock to keep highways traffic-free, he added.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal chief coordinator Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, MP, said that coordinated efforts of the administration, transport owners and workers, journalists and police had ensured successful Eid travel management last time.

“Using past experience, we hope to ensure even better management this year by preventing overcharging, ensuring passenger and women’s safety and taking tough action against extortion,” he said.

State Minister Habibur Rashid, MP, in charge of the Railways Ministry and Road Transport and Highways Division, and State Minister Md Rajib Ahsan, MP, in charge of the Shipping Ministry and Bridges Division, were present as special guests at the meeting, along with senior officials, transport leaders and representatives from print and electronic media.