The waterbus service on the rivers surrounding Dhaka city resumed on Thursday, aiming to ease traffic congestion on the city streets.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan formally inaugurated the waterbus service at Gabtoli Waterbus Landing Station in the morning.
The waterbuses will ply the Sadarghat-Gabtoli route.
Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation (BIWTC) put six waterbuses, including four new waterbuses, into services on the Dhaka circular waterway.
Meanwhile, the government has procured the four new waterbuses at a cost of Tk 3 crore.
Each new waterbus can accommodate 81 passengers while old one 35 passengers. The minimum fare for the waterbus is Tk 10 while the fare on Dhaka-Gabtoli route is Tk 40.
Earlier, on August 28 in 2010, the waterbus service was first launched on Sadarghat-Showary Ghat-Kholamura-Gabtoli route with two 35-seated waterbuses.
Addressing the inaugural session, Shajahan Khan said the government has taken an initiative involving Tk 11,473 crore to excavate the country’s 53 rivers to restore the navigability of the rivers and ensure smooth waterways.
About the unchecked river grabbing and pollution, he said the government is committed to recovering the grabbed rivers and checking river pollution. “The government is setting up pillars and constructing walkways on river embankments to keep those free from grabbing.”
Shajahan Khan said, “We’re building two ships after 62 years, which will ply waterways so that the people of the country’s southern region can easily travel to Dhaka city. We’ll get the ships within November next.”
Shipping secretary Syed Manzurul Islam and BIWTC chairman Dr Shamsuduha Khandaker, among others, spoke at the function.
Source: UNBConnect