With a history of failure at least for two times since 2004, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) now says it waterbus will start plying Dhaka city’s circular river route again in June.
Two initial dates to re-launch the service, welcomed by people but abandoned by authorities due to shortage of vessels, were postponed in May.
But BIWTC says they are more prepared now than ever before to make sure that the third venture sustain. They now have six waterbuses in their fleet, which, they believe, is fair enough to respond to the initial enthusiasm of commuters about the first-ever water route of this kind in the capital.
Though the planned route for the service was Sadarghat-Gabtoli-Aminbazar-Ashulia-Tongi-Purbachal-Demra-Kanchpur-Mir Kadeem-Fatulla, it will currently operate between Sadarghat and Gabtali (Aminbazar) due to dredging works at different points and shortage of transport.
BIWTC high-ups told the Dhaka Tribune that they have recently completed construction of four waterbuses and another four are under construction.
Each of the new buses has 56 seats compared to previously introduced 36-seater.
BIWTC earlier planned to restart the service this month and already cancelled two dates—May 15 and 25. The state-owned agency on Monday confirmed that the waterbuses will be inaugurated in the first week of June by Shipping Minister Shahjahan Khan.
Its Chairman Mojibur Rahman told the Dhaha Tribune, “All works on the waterbus service is finished and we are ready for its inauguration, which will hopefully be in June.”
The service was first introduced back in 2004, under the BNP-Jamaat led four-party alliance government, with one water taxi in the Sadarghat-Aminbazar route.
Under the ruling Awami League grand alliance government it was refloated again, on August, 2010 with two waterbuses in the Sadarghat- Swarighat-Kholamura-Gabtoli (Aminbazar) route.
The government had hoped that the alternative transport would give city dwellers some relief from the traffic congestion on the streets. Instead, 11 months after its relaunch, BIWTC was forced to stop the service once again on February 2012 after failing to maintain schedule in the 29km waterway with only two buses.
This time around, the buses will feature full service lavatories, lounge and a baggage handling service to help travellers enjoy the journey. Constructed by Dhaka Dockyard Limited, the vessels will travel at 12 nautical miles per hour.
They are scheduled to carry passengers from 7am to 10pm between Sadarghat and Gabtoli (Aminbazar), with two stops on the way at Swarighat and Kholamura.
