Hundreds of vehicles stuck in long tailback

Passengers had to wait for hours yesterday at Paturia and Daulatdia ferry terminals to cross the Padma river as ferry service was disrupted due to strong currents in the river.

Their sufferings mounted because an additional number of vehicles, which failed to cross the river on the Shimulia-Kathalbari route, used the Paturia-Daulatdia route, according to witnesses and the authorities.

Ferry service on the Shimulia-Kathalbari route was halted due to rough weather, poor navigability and strong currents in the river, officials said.

People of 21 southern districts use the Paturia-Daulatdia route to go to the capital and other adjacent districts.

A long queue of over 200 buses was seen at the Daulatdia end in Rajbari around noon. A similar tailback was also found at the Paturia end in Manikganj around 1:30pm, reports our Manikganj correspondent.

Sohrab Hossain, 45, who works in a private organisation in the capital, was going to his home in Magura along with wife and children in a bus.

He said the bus reached the Paturia ferry terminal around 8:00am from Gabtoli bus terminal. As of 1:30pm, the vehicle could not board a ferry.

“Although I use this route occasionally, whenever I travel I find it difficult to cross the river because of disruption in ferry service,” he told The Daily Star.

Besides buses, around 500 trucks at the Paturia end and about 400 trucks at the Daulatdia end were seen waiting to cross the river.

Jillur Rahman, assistant general manager (commerce) of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) at Paturia office, said the number of vehicles increased at the terminal because an additional number of goods-laden trucks used the route.

The trucks were supposed to take the Shimulia-Kathalbari route, but the vehicles used the Paturia-Daulatdia route due to Thursday's disruption of ferry service on the Shimulia-Kathalbari route, he said.

Shafiqul Islam, manager (commerce) at BIWTC's Daulatdia office, said 17 ferries were operational on the Paturia-Daulatdia route at present.

Of them, seven are Ro-Ro ferries, one K-type ferry, a medium sized ferry, and eight utility ferries, he said.

Except for two Ro-Ro ferries, five others are old and cannot run properly against strong currents, he added.

Normally, a ferry needs 35 to 40 minutes to make a trip. Now, a ferry is taking 60 to 70 minutes for that, he further said.

As a result, the number of trips by the ferries has been decreased, he added.

Golam Ambia, a traffic inspector of Manikganj highway police, said the pressure of vehicles increased at Paturia terminal after Thursday afternoon.

Officials said launch service on the Paturia-Daulatdia route remained suspended from 4:00pm on Thursday to 8:00am yesterday due to strong currents in the river and to avert accident at night.

Meanwhile, plying of launches and speedboats resumed yesterday on the Shimulia-Kathalbari route after 24 hours, said Khandakar Shah Khaled Newaz, BIWTC assistant general manager at Shimulia-Kathalbari office.

The services were suspended on Thursday morning due to strong currents in the river, he said.

He added that 15 out of the 18 ferries were in service on the route yesterday, reports our Munshiganj correspondent.

Besides, ferries are taking extra time to make trips due to poor navigability and excessive waves in the river, he said.