Road Transport and Bridges Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam has claimed that travel during this year’s Eid has been comparatively safer, despite over 170 fatalities in road accidents over the 10-day period.
Speaking to journalists on Sunday after a post-Eid review meeting at the Secretariat, the minister said, “According to our records, 170 people have died over the past 10 days.”
He expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and acknowledged that some accidents had been particularly tragic.
Sheikh Rabiul Alam added that the government is planning new initiatives to prevent such incidents in the future. Among the measures, authorities intend to introduce GPS tracking in vehicles before the next Eid to monitor unfit vehicles and over-speeding.
“Appropriate action will be taken according to the law,” he said.
The minister also confirmed stricter rules at ferry points, ensuring buses only board after all passengers have safely disembarked. On complaints of extra fares during Eid, he said action had been taken against overcharging, although enforcing rules mid-route remained challenging.
He further noted that authorities are working to standardise fares for AC buses, which often operate above government-set rates.
