‘Route permit to be canceled if charges extra fares’

Route permits of passenger vessels charging fares beyond the fixed rates and carrying extra passengers, will be cancelled, said Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain on Thursday.

“No passenger vessel would be allowed to charge more than the fixed fare and a fare chart must be displayed publicly from today.”

The adviser came up with this warning after a preparatory meeting with stakeholders at the secretariat on ensuring safety on waterways ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.

The adviser said no vessel could leave flouting the designated serial, and the passengers must be charged only the fixed fare.

Besides, carrying excess passengers and picking up passengers from unauthorised spots will not be allowed, he added.

The adviser said law enforcement agencies will monitor these matters, with the navy also providing assistance.

He also instructed the security forces not to conduct unnecessary checks that may cause delays.

“No vessel will be allowed to operate without a valid fitness certificate, and exceeding the speed limit is strictly prohibited,” he added.

Addressing the congestion at Sadarghat, he said that disorder in the area often prevents passengers from boarding their launches even after arriving three hours early.

To mitigate this, illegal vehicles will be removed using wreckers if necessary.

He also said the decisions will take effect from the 15th of Ramadan and speedboats will not operate at night, and bulkheads (sand-carrying vessels) will be prohibited from navigating five days before and after Eid.

Besides, buses will not be allowed to board ferries with passengers.