Padma Bridge’s electronic toll collection (ETC) has hit a new milestone, with cashless revenue crossing Tk10 crore and registered vehicles exceeding 1,000.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority announced this in a press release on Monday.
As of Sunday, Tk10.82 crore was collected through ETC, the release said. At the same time, 1,008 vehicles including long‑distance buses, commercial trucks, and private cars that regularly use the bridge had registered under the system.
Since the launch of the ETC, a total of 56,406 vehicles have crossed the bridge using cashless toll payment.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, secretary of the Bridge Division and Executive Director of the Bangladesh Bridge Authority, said the ETC system was introduced under the directive of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to bring discipline to road transport and provide citizens with easy, comfortable toll services.
He said that collecting over Tk10 crore and registering more than 1,000 vehicles is not just a statistic but a major step toward making the transport sector technology‑driven and cashless.
Currently, tolls for the Padma Bridge can be paid through mobile financial services and digital banking apps. Services include Tap, bKash, Nagad, Upay, as well as apps from Trust Bank, Midland Bank, NCC Bank, Prime Bank, and Mutual Trust Bank.
To use ETC, customers must go to the “D‑Toll” option in the relevant app and complete registration by entering their vehicle number and the last four digits of the chassis number.
After recharging the required amount, the process is finalised at the Mawa toll plaza registration booth or toll booth through RFID tag verification.
Once registration is complete, vehicles can cross the Padma Bridge without stopping by using the ETC lane. A valid BRTA‑approved RFID tag is sufficient; no separate tag is required.
The Bridge Authority said that bus operators such as Imad Paribahan, Dola Paribahan, Sarbik Paribahan, and Golden Line Paribahan, along with many private and commercial vehicles in the southwest region, are already using the ETC facility.
Vehicles using ETC lanes can automatically pay tolls while moving at about 60 kph. As a result, waiting time at toll plazas has decreased, congestion risks have been reduced, and fuel waste and carbon emissions have also gone down.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority stated that in the future, 100 per cent of tolls on the bridge will be collected under automated systems, and initiatives are underway to introduce ETC on other major bridges, expressways, and tunnels across the country.
