The country’s one of the busiest waterway routes, Shimulia Ferry Ghat in Mawa, has turned into a completely deserted look on Sunday morning as Padma Bridge opened for public use.
“Launch and speed boats have been operating as usual since morning; however, the number of passengers is quite low than usual,” said Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority’s (BIWTA) Shimulia River Port officer Shahadat Hossain to media.
Due to the sharp decline in the number of passengers, water transports had to wait longer before leaving the terminal.
By far, twelve-speed boats have left the place for Banglabazar and Majhirkandi ghats since morning. Meanwhile, only eight launches left the terminal with fewer passengers.
Meanwhile, long queues of vehicles were seen waiting to cross the long-awaited Padma Bridge which opened for transports on Sunday morning.
Buses, trucks, cars, motorcycles, and ambulances were seen waiting in hundreds on the Dhaka-Mawa Expressway till the gates of the bridge opened at 6am.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the plaque on the 6.15-kilometre Padma Bridge on Saturday. She paid toll as the first traveller on the bridge.
