AR Swapan. Barishal
Operation of triple-deck water transports on Barishal-Dhaka-Barishal route will resume from 31 May Sunday evening.
However rush of passengers for advance booking of cabin and sofa seats started from Saturday May 30, 2020 from Barishal end.
After visiting the office of Sundarbon Navigation at Fazlul Haque Avenue of the city on Saturday it was found that passengers crowded inside and front of that office maintaining social and physical distancing rules and regulations prescribed for preventing covid-19 infection.
Sayedur Rahman Rintu, chairman of the company and vice president of launch owners association personally supervising the booking activities in the office instructing all to maintain regulations prescribed for preventing covid-19 infection strictly with discipline.
আরো দেখুন : লঞ্চের বুকিং শুরু
Not only maintaining social and physical distancing rules during booking seats and boarding on transport, all passengers also have to disinfect by taking anti-virus spray, he added.
Till this report fare of water transports plying on this route was not increased and all passengers have to wear mask before boarding on the water transport, launch company sources said.
Abdus Sobhan, one of the passengers, said he came to book his cabin seat because due to lockdown operation of water and road transports were suspended and he like thousands of others became stranded at different points of the country causing mental, physical and financial losses for them.
Yusuf Ali, another passenger came for booking his seat on sofa of the launch , said he is not unhappy about giving stress on maintaining social and physical distance on the transport because that was imposed for preventing spreading corona infection.
Ajmal Huda Mithu Sarkar, deputy director Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authouurity and Barishal river port officer, said none including both passengers and staffs of water transports and BIWTA employees on duty, would be allowed to enter inside the port premises or board on water transport without wearing mask.
Dhaka bound water transports will start to leave Barishal river port on Sunday night and also be disinfected and washed thoroughly before loading passengers ensuring maintenances of physical and social distances, the port officer added.
Work for installing disinfection tunnels for all who wants to enter in the port terminal or board on water transports going on, port officer informed.
Rezaul Karim, sub inspector of Barishal river police deployed at the port, told they also supervise the port area, staffs and passengers of water transports about following covid-19 prevention rules and regulation.