It was 11 in the morning. The road leading toward Farmgate from Banani overpass was completely gridlocked. Google Maps showed the congestion stretching all the way to the Mohakhali Flyover, with the road marked in red colour.
While thousands of vehicles crawled on the lower road, the Dhaka Elevated Expressway above remained nearly empty. Only 10 to 15 vehicles passed per minute. Although the expressway offers a faster alternative, most vehicles are avoiding it. Apparently, the expected 30 per cent reduction in traffic congestion from the expressway has yet to be realised.
When the correspondent visited the site, he found that the high toll fees discouraged drivers from using the elevated expressway. Many of them believed that a reduction in toll charges would lead to significantly higher usage, reduce traffic congestion below, and increase revenue from the expressway.
An Uber driver, Matiur, shared his experience, saying, “The fare from Kuril Bishwa Road to Mohakhali is around Tk 300. If I pay a toll of Tk 80, I am left with Tk 220. After accounting for fuel costs, Uber’s cut, and the car owner’s share, there is nothing left for me. I only take the expressway if passengers agree to pay the toll.”
Similarly, a private car owner Tarek Mamun, travelling from Nikunja to Banani Chairman Bari, remarked, “Paying Tk 80 in toll for such a short distance is irrational. If the toll were Tk 20 to Tk 30, I would definitely use the expressway.”
Vehicles, including pickup trucks, are also avoiding the elevated expressway for the same reasons. Moreover, motorcycles and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, restricted to use the expressway, operate on the lower roads. Although a few long-distance buses use the elevated route, most local buses avoid it due to concerns about passenger availability.
Consequently, the elevated expressway, built at a cost of nearly Tk 9,000 crore, has yet to realise its desired impact on reducing traffic congestion.
Since its inauguration on September 3, 2023, the expressway has established a toll system that charges cars, jeeps, taxis, and smaller vehicles, including microbuses (with less than 16 seats) and small trucks ( less than 3 tonnes), Tk 80; buses ( more than 16 seats) Tk 160; medium trucks Tk 320; and larger trucks Tk 400.
On its first day of operation, the expressway recorded 22,805 vehicles and collected over Tk 18,52,880 in tolls. By the end of that month, daily toll revenue averaged around Tk 24 lakh.
On the first 20 days of January 2025, toll revenue doubled, averaging Tk 53 lakh per day. However, the usage of the expressway remains far below its capacity.
Between January 1 and 20, the expressway saw some 13 lakh vehicles, generating nearly Tk 10.65 crore in toll revenue. On average, only 45 vehicles entered the expressway per minute via all ramps, while several thousand vehicles remained stuck in gridlock on the roads below for every kilometre.
When asked about plans to increase usage by reducing tolls or allowing motorcycles and CNG-run auto-rickshaws, Project Director AHMS Akhtar stated that there were no such plans at the moment.
Translated & edited by Fariha Nowshin Chinika
