TRANSPORT workers and passengers continued to suffer on the country’s south-western routes while crossing the River Padma by major water channels due to strong current, navigability crisis, limited and suspended ferry services. As the authorities were allowing the passenger vehicles to cross the routes on a priority basis, transport workers of the goods-laden vehicles were the worst sufferers of the situation. Several hundred goods-laden vehicles are stranded on highways and roads at both sides of the Paturia-Daulatdia water channel for the last few days. The government must ease the problem as urgent basis as the stranded truckers are suffering immensely which may lead to accidents.
Ongoing dredging works on both channels, including Shimulia-Kathalbari, also affected the services. To ensure the safety of the under-construction Padma Bridge and strong current, the government suspended ferry service between 6:00pm and 6:00am. For four consecutive days the transport workers and passengers on both sides of Paturia-Daulatdia channel were facing immense sufferings while waiting their turn to cross the river. To keep the terminal areas free from traffic congestion, police made the transport workers park the goods-laden vehicles on a four-kilometre stretch of the Dhaka-Aricha national highway from Uthuli intersection to Aricha near the Paturia terminal area and on a four-kilometer stretch of the Daulatdia-Khulna highway at Rajbari near Daulatdia terminal area.
The delay at the terminal areas makes the passengers, especially women, children and elderly people, face many difficulties, including when using the limited number of toilet facilities. To address the navigability crisis, the authorities started dredging on the route from August 28 and ferry movement by the approach route came to a halt from August 30. According to BIWTC Marine Department everyday 10 to 12 centimetre water was reducing on the river Padma which gave rise to the navigability crisis.
The authorities know best what they are doing to remove the difficulties. They have no accountability to the people. So it is for their pleasure to do or not do their duties.
Ongoing dredging works on both channels, including Shimulia-Kathalbari, also affected the services. To ensure the safety of the under-construction Padma Bridge and strong current, the government suspended ferry service between 6:00pm and 6:00am. For four consecutive days the transport workers and passengers on both sides of Paturia-Daulatdia channel were facing immense sufferings while waiting their turn to cross the river. To keep the terminal areas free from traffic congestion, police made the transport workers park the goods-laden vehicles on a four-kilometre stretch of the Dhaka-Aricha national highway from Uthuli intersection to Aricha near the Paturia terminal area and on a four-kilometer stretch of the Daulatdia-Khulna highway at Rajbari near Daulatdia terminal area.
The delay at the terminal areas makes the passengers, especially women, children and elderly people, face many difficulties, including when using the limited number of toilet facilities. To address the navigability crisis, the authorities started dredging on the route from August 28 and ferry movement by the approach route came to a halt from August 30. According to BIWTC Marine Department everyday 10 to 12 centimetre water was reducing on the river Padma which gave rise to the navigability crisis.
The authorities know best what they are doing to remove the difficulties. They have no accountability to the people. So it is for their pleasure to do or not do their duties.
