Bangladesh Bridge Authority has earned highest toll of Tk 838.56 crore from Padma Bridge in 2024.
Executive engineer of Padma Multipurpose Bridge Abu Saad Niloy told media that the toll was collected from 67,36,478 vehicles.
Since opening of the 6.15km bridge for traffic on June 25, 2022, BBA earned Tk 2,061.97 crore from 1,58,08,968 vehicles, he said.
BBA has so far paid Tk 1,577.16 crore in 10 instalments to the finance division for repayment of the loan given by the government for construction of the mega project.
The bridges division on April 5, 2023 began repaying the loan that it had taken as credit for the Padma Bridge construction from the revenue.
鈥榃e usually pay four instalments per financial year to the government and Tk 157.71 crore is given in every instalment,鈥� said Niloy.
According to the BBA, highest toll collection in a single day was Tk 4.80 crore on June 14, 2024 when record number of 44,033 vehicles crossed the bridge.
In the backdrop of withdrawal of the World Bank and other multilateral financial institutions from financing, the government has built the Padma Bridge with its own resources at a cost of Tk 30,193 crore.
Out of that money, the government provided a grant of Tk 300 crore while remaining Tk 29,893 crore was given as credit at one per cent interest rate to BBA.
As per that agreement with the finance division on 29 August 2019, BBA will repay the loan in 35 years in 140 instalments.聽
According to the payment schedule, minimum Tk 634 crore to maximum Tk 1,475 crore should be paid every financial year.
