Mawa-Kawrakandi Channel
River route shortens but fare increases
Owners of river transport including launches, trawlers and speedboats on important Mawa-Kawrakandi river route have increased the fares although dredging work during the last one year has shortened the route by almost half and the fuel price decreased.
To reduce the distance to be plied on the route, the present Awami League-led government spent crores of taka for dredging the rivers.
But the initiative, aimed at lessening the sufferings of lakhs of passengers of 21 districts in southern region, actually benefited a few transport owners.
During the dry season last year launches and ferries had to take 31 kilometres on Mawa-Palerchar-Mongamajhi channel, BIWTA sources said.
After dredging on two channels, the length reduced to 14 kilometres. Due to emergence of new shoals in the current dry season, the distance is 16 kilometres now, they said.
The price of diesel was Tk 48 per litre last year, which is Tk 44.50 now.
The BIWTA and district council lease fee was Tk 8 and a passenger on this route had to pay Tk 17 last year.
The present government reduced the lease fee to Tk 5 but the launch owners increased the fare to Tk 20.
On December 23, owners of speedboats that ply illegally on the route, increased per passenger fare to Tk 120 from earlier Tk 110 under the pretext of navigability problem.
Approval of the ministry is required for increasing fare, officials said.
But owners of launches and speedboats are using the names of influential persons of the ruling party to increase fare as per their will, said several passengers.
"Length of the river route came down to almost half as the government arranged dredging at a cost of Tk 12 crore during the last one year. Dredging is still going on. So there is no logic behind increasing the fare," BIWTA Executive Engineer (Dredging Division) Masuqul Haq said.
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