Shimulia-B’bazar: Ferries to run only at daytime

Ferries will resume operations on Shimulia-Banglabazar route today but only at daytime.

They will ply the route on the Padma for 10 and half hours -- from 6:00am to 4:30pm -- and carry only light vehicles, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation announced yesterday.

Ferry services on this route were suspended on October 11 due to strong currents in the Padma and increased risk of hitting the pillars of Padma bridge.

BIWTC Director (Commercial) SM Ashiquzzaman said, "A ferry was experimentally run this morning [yesterday] to check the condition of the waterway. During the day, the current's speed -- three knots per hour -- is favourable for ferry traffic. But at night, the speed increases, and so for now only a limited range of ferries will ply during the day."

Initially, four ferries -- Kadam, Kunjalata, Begum Rokeya and Sufia Kamal -- will operate on this waterway. More will gradually be added, he said.

"Only light vehicles will be taken aboard. Heavy vehicles, however, will not be allowed. Ferries will pass between the 14th and 15th pillars of the Padma Bridge from Shimulia terminal towards Banglabazar terminal, and will pass between the 18th and 19th pillars from Banglabazar towards Shimulia."

For the experimental run yesterday, Sufia Kamal ferry left Shimulia terminal in Munshiganj around 10:00am with 17 motorcycles and two small vehicles.  It reached Banglabazar terminal in Madaripur at 11:30am.

It then left the Banglabazar terminal and reached Shimulia at 1:00pm.

Officials from BIWTA, BIWTC and Padma Bridge authorities and an army delegation were present on the ferry for observation.