16 directives issued for Durga Puja waterway travel safety

The Ministry of Shipping has issued 16 directives to ensure safe river transport during the Durga Puja festivities, including a ban on the operation of unfit vessels, nighttime speedboat services and overcharging of passengers.

In a notice issued on October 8, the ministry instructed relevant departments and agencies to implement the measures to prevent accidents, strengthen emergency response and ensure the safety and convenience of passengers during the Hindu religious festival.

Under the directives, passengers must board and disembark from vessels using designated terminal pontoons. Boarding and disembarking from launches through boats or trawlers in the middle of rivers, including around Sadarghat, must be stopped.

All launches and other passenger vessels must display government-approved fare charts, and authorities have been instructed to prevent operators from charging passengers above the prescribed rates.

To reduce the risk of accidents, unfit launches, vessels and ferries must not be allowed to operate. Speedboats are prohibited from operating at night and must not travel through the middle of rivers during daytime. Operators must also ensure that passengers wear life jackets.

The ministry has directed authorities to keep rescue vessels ready for rapid deployment in the event of a river accident or other emergency. Firefighting facilities at major river ports must also be strengthened, while vessel operators must follow weather warnings when navigating waterways.

The directives also seek to improve terminal management. Hawkers and canvassers must be barred from the Sadarghat river terminal and pontoon areas, while information on vessel routes and pontoon locations must be displayed at terminal entrances. Measures must also be taken to prevent illegal parking.

Authorities have been instructed to maintain navigability on river routes and regulate vehicle entry and orderly queuing at ferry terminals. Passengers, except drivers, must disembark from buses and other vehicles before they board ferries. Directional signboards must be installed at ferry terminals to ensure compliance.

To improve facilities for women, children and passengers with disabilities, terminals must strengthen arrangements for drinking water, sanitation, security, mobile phone charging and rest areas.

The ministry has also directed passenger launches to display four emergency contact numbers: National Emergency Service at 999, Fire Service at 102, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) passenger service at 16113, and Coast Guard at 16111.

For weather-related information, passengers and operators can contact 1090, 41025730 or 41025731.

The measures are aimed at ensuring safer and more orderly river travel during Durga Puja, when passenger movement on waterways is expected to require heightened safety oversight.