Dhaka Elevated Expressway: Commuters in euphoria as cars dominate on first day

It is a completely different day for 32-year-old microbus driver Monirul Islam, and he is in a state of euphoria.

Monirul came to the Bijoy Sarani Flyover in his microbus to go to Uttara and become the first person to use the elevated expressway after it opened to the public. 

"I am feeling great. Look, it takes only five minutes to reach Banani," said Monirul Islam while driving the microbus. His microbus reached Kawla in the Airport area within 12 minutes only. He had left his home at five in the morning to get ahead of other vehicles to ply on the expressway. At the toll plaza, this correspondent got on Monirul's microbus and sat next to him on the front seat. The road was still wet with last night's rain. In the wink of an eye, the microbus reached the airport.  Cars dominated the Dhaka Elevated Expressway on the morning of the first day of its opening, while there were some buses and covered vans as well.

With the number of vehicles increasing with time, more than 2,000 vehicles crossed the expressway till 10am. Though bus, trucks and cars are allowed to ply the elevated expressway, CNG-run auto-rickshaws and motorcycles are barred from using the route.

The employees of the expressway were seen using loudspeakers to warn motorcyclists not to use the road while encouraging heavy vehicles to use the elevated expressway this morning. Mizanur Rahman, a businessman, also came to get a taste of the country's first elevated expressway with his nine-year-old daughter Mithila. Mizanur has lived in the sector 7 in Uttara for the last 20 years. "It [the expressway] will bring comfort to people's journey. Whenever I thought of going to Farmgate, Mogbazar and Old Dhaka area, I became worried," said Mizanur Rahman while pulling up his SUV at the mouth of the Kawla point of the elevated expressway. 

Though cars dominated the elevated expressway on the first day, there were some buses that took the new route. The first bus that crossed the elevated expressway was a staff bus of the Birdem General Hospital. The passengers were in a state of euphoria. The staff got onto the bus from different points in Gazipur and in the city.

Original Website: https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/transport/dhaka-elevated-expressway-private-cars-dominate-first-day-morning-passengers