Official sources said the instructions followed reports of low revenue collection from bridges, roads and ferries under the ministry, despite a 50 to 100 per cent increase in toll rates.

They said the tolls or taxes have been raised but the revenue income of the government has not gone up proportionately.

According to the officials, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) collects tolls from 73 ferries, 33 bridges and two roads.

Of the 73 ferries, the RHD collects tolls from 49 ferries through lessees and directly from the 24 others. It also collects tolls directly from five bridges, through the lessees from 27 bridges and through the computerised O&M (operation and maintenance) system from one bridge.

Tolls from the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge are collected by the Jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge Authority under the O&M system.

Sources said the government in its bid to enhance revenue income increased the toll rate by 80 per cent on the Tongi-Ashulia road under the RHD. The tolls on Meghna-Gumti and Meghna bridges on the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway have been increased by 100 per cent.

According to a summary of the communications ministry placed at a recent cabinet meeting, toll collections by the RHD increased to Tk 111.36 crore in 2002-2003 fiscal (till June 30 this year) compared to the previous year's collection of Tk 62.02 crore.

So, the annual toll collection increased by Tk 49.34 crore, which is 79.54 per cent higher than the previous year's total collection.

On the other hand, toll collection from Jamuna bridge stood at Tk 107 crore in 2002-2003 fiscal, 20 per cent higher than the previous year's collection, despite no increase in toll rate.

The cabinet observed that the government's revenue income should have increased with the rise in toll rates and that toll collection was not satisfactory.

It found that toll collection is being obstructed due to the legal complexities created by the lessees in collaboration with dishonest officials.

Sources said the dishonest officials inspire the lessees to go for legal action against the government when it moves to increase the money that the lessees are supposed to pay. This is why revenue income of the government is not increasing proportionately despite the increase in toll rate.

The cabinet also decided to introduce computerised O&M system for roads, bridges and ferries to improve the situation.

It instructed the communications ministry to take immediate steps to go for computer-based O&M system and to construct modern infrastructure facilities at the toll collection points for all bridges, road and ferries.