Steep approach roads make travelling risky on Paturia-Daulatdia ferry route

MANIKGANJ, Mar 16: Steep approach roads pose considerable risks for the passengers travelling through the Paturia ferry terminal in Manikganj, especially at a time when traffic flow has increased significantly centring the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
As the Eid is approaching, the rush of homebound passengers has peaked up; though repair work at the Paturia ferry terminal, one of the country's most important river routes for the southwest region, is yet to be completed.
Vehicles are facing difficulties while boarding and leaving the ferries due to the steep approach roads.
With the possibility of nor'wester hitting the region in the current season, passengers and drivers fear that journey on this route may become more troublesome during the Eid rush.
The Paturia ferry terminal serves passengers and vehicles from at least 21 districts in the southwestern region. Traffic on this route usually increases several times ahead of Eid.
Every year, the authorities take various measures to ensure smooth crossings during the festival. But this time, concerns have grown among passengers as the terminal infrastructure has not yet been fully repaired.
During last year's monsoon, strong currents in the Padma River damaged five jetties at the Paturia ferry terminal. Even after nearly six months, the damaged structures have not been fully repaired. Currently, the jetties are functioning under temporary arrangements, which often cause vehicles to get stuck while boarding or leaving ferries, leading to delays in crossings.
A recent visit to the area revealed that the river's water level has dropped, necessitating the lowering of the pontoons. As a
result, the connecting roads between the ferry pontoons and the land have become very steep. Heavy vehicles often lose momentum while climbing the slope after leaving the ferry, and sometimes break down midway.
In many cases, wreckers are required to pull the vehicles up. This situation frequently causes traffic congestion at the terminal and increases suffering of passengers.
Last Wednesday night, a fuel-laden truck lost control while getting off a
ferry at Paturia's No. 5 jetty and fell into the river. After about 16 hours, it was recovered with the help of the salvage vessel 'Hamza'. Drivers say such incidents are becoming common due to the steep approach roads.
Nurul Islam, a long-distance bus driver operating on the Dhaka-Khulna highway, said, "The slope after getting off the ferry is so steep that vehicles often lose momentum. If a bus stops midway, it becomes very difficult to move again, and vehicles behind have to wait for a long time."
Another bus driver, Shahadat Hossain, said, "The most worrying moment is when we are getting off the ferry with passengers on board. If the brakes fail on such a steep slope, the vehicle could slide back toward the river."
Truck driver Abdul Quddus said, "I was driving a loaded truck from Khulna to Dhaka. While climbing the road after getting off the ferry at terminal number four, the truck got stuck halfway. Eventually, it had to be pulled up by a wrecker. Other vehicles also got stuck behind, and a long queue formed."
Another truck driver, Robiul Islam, said, "Vehicle pressure increases a lot during Eid. If the roads at the terminal are not repaired quickly, there could be serious traffic congestion. The authorities should have completed the repairs before Eid."
Abdus Salam, Deputy General Manager of BIWTC's Aricha region, said the river's falling water level forced the pontoons to be lowered, making the connecting roads steeper. This has created difficulties for vehicles while boarding and leaving ferries, and the number of ferry trips has also slightly decreased. However, he said preparations have been made to operate 17 ferries on this route during the Eid period. He added that BIWTA has been informed several times about the need to reduce the slope of the approach roads.
BIWTA's Aricha regional office Executive Engineer, Md. Robiul Alam said work has already started to level the approach roads at three terminals to ease Eid travel. He hopes the excessive slope will be reduced within the next two to three days.
Meanwhile, ferry services on this route remained suspended for about an hour on Sunday night from 11:00 pm due to strong winds and rough weather.

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