The government has restricted motorcycles from passenger launches during Eid-ul-Azha after banning the two-wheeled vehicles from highways for a week. The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority imposed the restriction to make sure passengers do not face trouble while getting on or off the vessels, Jahangir Alam Khan, public relations officer of the shipping ministry, told UNB Wednesday. Also Read: PM seeks people’s support to cut power subsidy amid hard times

The government has banned plying of motorcycles on the Padma Bridge until further notice. The ban imposed by the Bridge Division under the Ministry of Road, Transport and Bridges, will be effective from 6am Monday. The Press Information Department issued a notification in this regard on Sunday night. Long queues of buses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, and ambulances were seen waiting in hundreds on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway till the gates of the bridge opened at 6am Sunday. Read: Extremely busy first day ends in tailbacks, showcases potential Meanwhile, the government announced that stopping vehicles, walking and taking pictures on the Padma Bridge are completely prohibited and punishable offenses. UNB reporters crossing the bridge on Sunday night reported vehicle were not maintaining rules and trying to cross each other haphazardly in front of the toll plazas -motorcyclists being some of the worst offenders in this regard.   Army personnel were finding it difficult to maintain discipline due to the unruly behaviour of the vehicle drivers and motorbikes.   There were also hundreds of motorbikes on both sides of the bridge who seemed to have come only for sightseeing, worsening the tailback.