There appears to be no end to the sufferings for travellers who cross the Padma River through the Daulatdia ferry terminal, especially for truckers.
This particular route, which connects the capital with 21 south-western districts of the country, is a major inconvenience for travellers and it intensifies during weekends and holidays.
On Friday, more than a thousand vehicles were seen waiting at the ferry terminals to cross the river. Due to the three-day holiday consisting March 17, and the subsequent weekends - Friday and Saturday the ferry route was increasingly congested.
In this scorching heat, people waited under the open sky for hours in a 4-km long tailback from the terminal’s zero point to the Dhaka-Khulna Highway.
Authorities at the Daulatdia-Paturia terminals said, ferry services are twice as slow now, due to the low water level of Padma River. The connecting roads or pontoons have become steep, so vehicles face difficulty unloading and crossing the route.
Trucks and people are seen at the Daulatdia terminal on Friday, March 18, 2022 Dhaka TribuneA stranded truck driver on the Dhaka-Khulna Highway told Dhaka Tribune that he has been waiting since morning to cross the ferry. “I haven’t eaten anything since morning. The traffic here is sluggish. All I can do is sit in the truck.”
Another driver Khokon Mia, who was sitting 3km away from the terminal, said: “Truck drivers have no life. We don’t get to eat, nor do we get to shower. Our lives are squandered on these ferry terminals after working all day."
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) Daulatdia Terminal Manager Md Shihab Uddin said, around 4,000 vehicles were stranded at the ferry terminal and they are working round the clock to reduce traffic congestion.
