<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Road, Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Thursday told parliament that Tk 603.76 crore tolls have been collected from Padma Bridge till March since its inauguration on June 25, 2022.</b></span><br></div><div><br></div><div>The minister said this in reply to a tabled question from Awami League MP Benjir Ahmed elected from Dhaka-20.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader said after the launch of Bangabandhu Bridge on June 23, 1998, Tk 7697.71 crore have been collected as toll as of March.</div><div><br></div><div>In response to another question from Morshed Alam, a lawmaker from Noakhali-2, Quader said that about 6,000 buses of various transport companies including Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) ply Dhaka city.</div><div><br></div><div>He also said E-ticketing is available on a number of BRTC routes.</div><div><br></div><div>Apart from this, e-ticketing has been launched in 3,300 buses of 69 companies out of 97 private transport companies under the supervision of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association, he said.</div><div><br></div><div>Quader informed the House that Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) is monitoring these activities.</div><div><br></div><div>He said that soon the e-ticketing system will be introduced in the buses of rest of the companies.</div><div><br></div><div>In reply to another query, Quader said that currently there is no research programme to reduce road accidents in the country.</div><div><br></div><div>With Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair, the question-answer session of today’s parliament sitting was placed on the table. - UNB</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>