Launch and speedboat services for passengers have started again on the Shimulia-Majhirkandi route. However, there was a severe passenger crisis on the very first day. However, the authorities hope that the number of passengers will increase.
Although the launch and speedboat were announced from 9 am on Thursday, MV Yalis left Shimulia with 7 passengers at 10:30 am. Launch ML Masud Khan left from Mazhirkandi in Shariatpur at 10:30 am with 8 passengers.
The passenger crisis is also evident in the speedboat services. There has been a passenger crisis since the inauguration of Padma Bridge from June 26.
Later, due to the naval crisis in the channel, it was completely closed from July 9. However, the mass people is happy that the service resumed.
With these information, the assistant director of BIWTA Shahadat Hossain said that after the traffic started on Padma Bridge on June 26, the number of passengers on this waterway decreased.
After nearly two months of deadlock, launch and speedboat movement started again on this waterway from Thursday. However, passenger traffic is low. Authorities operate the route with 30 launches and 40 speedboats. He also said that there are only 28 buses on Shimulia-Dhaka route. So if the bus service increases, some passengers will increase.
Earlier there were 87 launches to cross the Padma from Shimulia but now 23 launches have been sold by the owners to run on other routes. About 40 of the 155 speedboats have up-to-date documents.
Therefore, 30 launches and 40 speedboats have been kept ready for movement on this route. It will run from 7 am to 6 pm.