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Sadarghat, the only exit point for the southern districts-bound long-haul waterway passengers, may not see the traditional hustle and bustle during the Eid holidays this year.
Owners say that they may not add extra launches to their fleets or operate additional trips. Even to attract more passengers, most of the launch companies are not taking their vessels to dockyards to give them a facelift which they did every year during the Eid season.
Inland waterways have already lost a major stake of passengers since the opening of Padma Bridge in June last year. Besides, a good number of launch owners have reduced the number of their vessels while many are in the pipeline.
There is no possibility of the turnaround even during this Eid season, though Eid has been considered as the prime time to do some business, owners said.
“The situation is such that we are yet to decide on operation of Eid special trips,” said Gazi Salauddin, a launch owner and member of Bangladesh Inland Waterways (Passenger Carrier’s) Association.
Every year the number of holidaymakers exceeds the capacity of regular launches in service, compelling the companies to introduce extra trips. Each launch operates double trips one or two days ahead of Eid.
Asked what would be arrangements this year, Gazi Salauddin said, “There will be preparations, but we feel this will be a futile effort as there will be less rush. Passengers prefer shorter time-consuming journeys by road. They are getting five-day holidays this year. It means there will be no extraordinary rush.”
But there will be a difference in the operation pattern, he said. “You know that many of the vessels are just sitting idle, taking no trips due to a shortage of passengers. The owners are thinking of bringing them back in service from April 16, only five days before Eid.”
If the owners need to operate extra trips, they will sit with the high-ups of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and seek instant permission.
“Even the owners will offer less fare in a bid to attract passengers. During every Eid, the companies have a tendency of increasing fares, but this year that will not happen. We are currently taking less than the government-fixed rate. We may take government-fixed fare at best,” he said.
No major facelift for launches
It was the last year’s Eid-ul-Fitr when Sadarghat saw a huge number of Eid passengers for the last time. The National Committee to Protect Shipping, Roads, and Railways (NCPSRR) in a report said that Sadarghat terminal witnessed an unusual pressure of 40 lakh people from three districts--Dhaka, Gazipur, and Narayanganj--who traveled to the 22 southern districts by launches.
To carry this huge number of passengers, the owners added additional launches and at least 30 of them were rickety but got a quick facelift with cosmetic repairs at various dockyards in Keraniganj on the outskirts of the city aiming to make a fast buck.
But this year, the scenario is different. The dockyards are getting fewer orders for facelift and workers are passing idle time. “Launches get dents, and face damage while in service. But now many launches are just sitting idle. So, they do not need that facelift to be in service,” said Gazi Salauddin.
The rising prices of iron, paints, and other elements are also the reason behind owners’ unwillingness of getting a facelift as well. “We have made some small repairs to our two launches for Eid as the prices of materials are comparatively high. If we spend more like the previous year, the money will be wasted as the number of passengers is not satisfactory,” said Kabir Hossain, manager of Bogdadiya-3.
What made this situation?
Despite the fact that the number of passengers dropped after Padma Bridge’s inauguration, owners struggled but still survived with less profit, according to launch owners.
“But after the rise in fuel prices, everything went haywire. Now the profit is far away, we have to bring money from home and run the launch,” said Md. Razin Ul Kabir, director of Surovi Navigation Company.
He added: “It may be possible for 2/4 months or a year, but not more than that. If this continues, this traditional launch service of the Dhaka-Barishal route will be closed at some point.”
The Dhaka-Barishal route is the most profitable route in the launch sector. Owners used to operate six to eight launches each day from each end. But now only two trips are being operated by the companies. A total of 23 launches have route permits for operation there but eleven are now in service by rotation.
“Not all of them are in service every day. If owner senses that first class ticket booking is low or there is a possible passenger crisis, they keep them anchored canceling voyage specially, the small companies’ launches do not operate if they sense loss,” said an owner requesting anonymity.
Several launches have already been sold. Some of the new buyers are running these launches on other routes or cutting and selling them at bulk prices, he added.
For example, MV Kuakata has changed the route to Dhaka-Patuakhali, MV Sundarban 10 is no more in service, and Surovi-8 has been sold. It is now running on the Dhaka-Elisha route. Parabat Company has stopped operating three of its vessels.
Nizamuddin, the owner of Adventure Launch, said after Padma Bridge’s inauguration passengers dropped by about 70 per cent in the early days. Later it increases again.
At present, each launch is getting about 50 to 60 per cent passengers of the capacity. It was possible to survive with this passenger. But due to the increase in the price of fuel we are paying TK 50 thousand to 2 lakh subsidies on every round trip, he claimed.
Another owner seeking to be unnamed said, apart from the operational cost, they need to spend on repair and maintenance. “Hundreds of thousands of taka go out of the pocket when a propeller, engine liner piston, or crank shaft goes out of order,” he said.
This owner said that he has stationed four of his six-strong fleet facing continuous financial loss. “My vessels are the large ones and have bank loans. I cannot scrap them like others. Banks will not allow it,” he added.
