Passengers suffer for poor ferry service in Barisal
The dilapidated condition of 22 ferries being operated under Barisal division is severely affecting the ferry service, inflicting sufferings to passengers of the region.
The rundown ferries have long been operating on various waterways of the region despite having cracks in their bodies and glitches in control panels of their engine rooms.
Of the ferries, six are operating under Roads and Highways Department, Barisal, two under Jhalakati and four under Pirojpur, two under Barguna and four under Patuakhali.
Mothbaria Upazila Health Officer Rafikul Islam Dipu said the ferry takes an unusual time to cross the Boleshwar due to faults in the control panel of its engine room though it is supposed to take only eight minutes to cross the river, said Mahbub, a driver of the ferry.
Contacted, Deputy Assistant Engineer of Barisal ferry division Anwar Hossain said most of these ferries are in bad shape. “We've brought it to the notice of the department concerned for providing new ferries, but there has been no response so far,” he added.
“The ferries have turned fragile as those have to carry overloaded trucks,” said M Moazzem Hossain, in-charge of Barguna and Patuakhali Roads and Highways Department.
“A project proposal involving Tk 100 crore to procure new ferries has already been sent to the Planning Commission,” said M Rafikul Islam, executive engineer of shipbuilding department, Dhaka.
Work for building new ferries will start once the project gets approval, he said.
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