Ferry services on Shimulia-Kathalbari
Ferry service on Shimulia-Kathalbari route has been suspended for six hours from 10:30 pm Saturday due to poor navigability in the River Padma, affecting people from 21 southern districts and resulting in long tailbacks.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) suspended the services as it became impossible to ply ferries on the route, said its Assistant General Manager Khandaker Shah Khaled Newaz.
The plying of ferries was suspended as water level on the channel went down, he said.
Considering the passengers' suffering, the service will resume around 4:30 am with the plying of few ferries, said the AGM.
He further said that six ferries were stuck in 3 places of this route on Friday.
"Later from Sunday morning, the situation had worsened further. There are currently 18 ferries in the fleet. Off those, only 10 were plying on the route," he added.
More than 700 vehicles remained stuck on both sides of the river, creating long tailbacks and causing immense sufferings to hundreds of passengers who were returning to the capital after passing Eid holidays at their village homes.
Earlier from Saturday, Ro-Ro ferry service was also suspended due to the same reason.
Meanwhile, a huge number of passengers crowded at the launch terminal, witnesses said.
In this route, a total of 87 launches and 4 hundred speedboats carry passengers.
- Courtesy: The Daily Star/ Aug 26, 2018
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