Let Eid journey be safe

Every year people become homebound to celebrate Eid festival with their dear and near ones. Three general holidays are fixed for Eid festival. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on last Wednesday, applying her executive power, announced July 4 as holiday for which government employees got a 9-day vacation for Eid-ul-Fitr. Basically, the holiday begins from July 1. So, the homebound people will be busy for getting their buses after the office closes on June 30. Since then, the vehicles carrying Eid rush people will become full of crowds.

Eid rush people are basically found at railway stations, bus and launch terminals in the capital. Every year we find a myriad of unpleasant reports about the suffering of home rush people. There are reports of mismanagement at terminals, charging extra fare at long route vehicles and passenger harassment. Pickpockets, hijackers and doping gang are found to continue their activities. Acute traffic congestion is also noticed at the terminal areas.

Sale of advance ticket for train concludes on Tuesday (June 28) while sale of advance ticket for bus and launch is still underway. Every year ticket crisis takes a sharp form. It is said from counters that there is no ticket or ticket is complete. Failing to get tickets, ticket seekers return frustrated. Last of all, they are forced to manage their tickets by paying additional charge to agents.

Despite all odds, people become homebound to celebrate Eid festival. Huge crowds are everywhere at bus and launch terminals as well as railway stations. Huge traffic jams are created in the streets. Passengers are to suffer a lot due to traffic congestion especially in Dhaka-Tangail and Dhaka-Mymensingh highway.

Every year the concerned department of the government takes various steps to make a smooth Eid journey for holidaymakers. But mismanagement foils the steps taken. This time the government has taken various steps to ensure safe home journey. The Road Transport and Bridges Ministry says around 1000 volunteers including rover scouts will be engaged at different points so that traffic congestion is not created in the streets. The ministry is very alert about road security issues. BRTC will run 450 buses for long routes and 50 buses will be reserved. The reserved buses will be used when bus crisis will rise. The authorities concerned have already issued a direction to drive vehicles carefully.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said this time no traffic jam will be at the highways. He has sought cooperation from law enforcement agencies in this regard. Meanwhile, DMP Commissioner said police can shoot anybody in order to protect people’s property and resist extortion and hijacking following laws if needed.

These steps of the government are laudable but it needs proper application. Another important thing is that frequent accidents are feared in the highways during the Eid festival which should be prevented. The government should give attention to this end. We expect that all make smooth home journey on the occasion of Eid.

risingbd/Dhaka/June 28, 2016/Shahnewaj/Amirul