People suffer for disruption in ferry services

Staff Correspondent | Published: 00:49, Sep 19,2020 | Updated: 01:14, Sep 19,2020

 
 

Passengers and transport workers on south-western routes again faced huge sufferings when crossing the river Padma due to suspended ferry services, navigability crisis, strong current and rundown ferries.

Ferry services on Shimulia-Kathalbari water route was currently suspended since Tuesday while many transport workers were stranded with their goods-laden vehicles near the terminal areas.


Some of the passengers were seen crossing the channel by paying extra to the trawler operators.

Sufferings of passengers peaked at both Paturia and Daulatdia ferry terminals following huge pressure of vehicles, strong current in the river and due to out of order ferries on the channel.

Over 700 vehicles were seen waiting in long queues on the highways adjacent to Paturia and Daulatdia ferry terminals to cross the river Padma around Friday noon.

New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that recently the ferry services had been resumed on Shimulia-Kathalbari channel after an eight-day pause.

The ferry services on the channel again closed on last Tuesday while on the same day the shipping ministry secretary Mohammad Mezbah Uddin Chowdhury had said that ferries on the channel would be operated by a 28-kilometre route via Paler Char point.

He also said that after the dredging works, ferries would again carry passengers and vehicles by the existing channel via Louhajang point after two days.

After the announcement a ferry reached Kathalbari from Shimulia by the channel, taking six hours on the same day and on Wednesday a ferry from Kathalabri reached Shimulia by the same route while it took around nine hours, said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation marine officer Ahmed Ali.

Since then no other ferries had been operated by the new route and the existing route was yet to be opened.

On Friday, the ferries at Shimulia ferry terminal were remained anchored at the pontoons while the ferry masters said that they did not know when the services would resume.

Some transport workers were found waiting besides their vehicles stuck in the terminal areas.

Some passengers, including motorcyclists with their motorcycles were also seen getting on trawlers by paying extra to the cross the river.

Launches and sea-boats were also carrying passengers by the channel.

New Age correspondent in Manikganj reported that the number of vehicles increased on Paturia-Daulatdia route due to suspended ferry services on Shimulia-Kathalbari route and also because of strong current.

By noon, around 300 vehicles were stranded at Paturia terminal, around 250 vehicles stranded on Dhaka-Aricha national highway and around 200 vehicles were stranded in Daulatdia terminal area.

On Friday morning the passenger buses, which came to Paturia on Thursday night, crossed the route while women and children were worst sufferers due to the lack of toilet facilities.

In the morning, traffic police were seen asking the drivers of goods-laden vehicles to park vehicles on a four-kilometre stretch on Dhaka-Aricha national highway from Uthuli intersection to Aricha ferry terminal area.

Some of the drivers alleged that though there were two unused truck terminals of the BIWTC at Aricha ferry terminal, they were not allowed to park their vehicles there.

According to the corporation’s Aricha office sources, the ferries were taking almost double time — 80 to 90 minutes instead of 40 to 50 minutes — to cross the river due to strong current.

Consequently, the number of trips covered by the ferries reduced, causing congestions in the areas. 

Meanwhile, of the 19 ferries in service, one or two ferries remain out of order every day.

BIWTC Paturia terminal assistant general manager (commercial) Tanveer Ahmed said that the pressure of vehicles increased on the channel for suspended ferry services on Shimulia-Kathalbari channel and increased pressure of cars on Friday.

He said that they were allowing passenger-laden vehicles to cross the river on a priority basis and the situation would become normal when ferry services on Shimulia-Kathalbari route would resume.

Since the last week of August, ferry services on these two water channels were disrupted from time to time following navigability crisis, strong current in the River Padma and due to erosion.

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