Toll on using national highways for long-distance trips: PM

Dhaka, Sept 3 (UNB) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said toll should be collected from the long-distance vehicles that plyfour national highways and the money should be used forthe maintenance of the major roads.

The Prime Minister said this while presiding over a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) at the NEC conference room.

Planning Minister MA Mannan briefed reporters after the meeting.

“We should start thinking about toll (from vehicles plying national highways),” Mannan quoted the Prime Minister as saying.

He said the Prime Minister talked about imposing toll not only for using bridges but also for using the national highways like Dhaka-Chattogram, Dhaka-Rangpur, Dhaka-Sylhet and Dhaka-Khulna.

Mannan mentioned that the Prime Minister said the toll money can be used for the maintenance of the highways.

The toll will be imposed on long-distance vehicles, not the short-distance ones, he said adding that such toll collection system is there in many countries of the world.