Editorial
Introduction of waterbus
Good addition, keep it afloat
THE introduction of waterbus on the Sadarghat-Gabtali waterway is good news for the city commuters who are finding it increasingly difficult to travel by bus, or any other mode of transport, for that matter, as traffic congestion is now threatening to paralyse everything in the metropolis.
The idea is to lessen the pressure on vehicular traffic by connecting two important points of the city. The waterbus is locally designed and manufactured with imported diesel engines. However, the planners should not miss certain constraints and limitations that made the circular waterway rather unattractive to the private river vessel operators after it was opened in 2005. The service had to be stopped due to poor navigability of the river at several places and lack of efficient river traffic management.
Nevertheless, it is commendable that the BIWTA has decided to restart the service. There is no doubt that the presence of a circular waterway around the city is an advantage that can be turned into a useful channel of communication. But certain conditions need to be fulfilled before the waterbus gains popularity. It must be regular and dependable. A high degree of punctuality has to be ensured to make it acceptable to the commuters willing to switch to the waterbus.
The plan was poorly executed in 2005. The decision makers did not pay due attention to the navigability of the waterway and there were some hazards like bridges not high enough to allow smooth movement of river vessels. Clearly, they did not take the necessary preparations before introducing the service. The result was an early closure of it, which only meant wastage of time, money and energy. We believe the decision makers have carefully weighed the pros and cons this time around and are ready to provide the necessary logistical and technical support for smooth plying of the waterbus.
The circular waterway can play a significant role in improving the existing traffic situation in the city. It has the potential to transport a huge number of people from one end of the city to another. If the water bus can operate successfully there will be scope for introducing bigger vessels. But before anything else, the authorities have to address the problem of poor navigability. Failure in this respect will only cause colossal loss to the government, as it did in 2005.
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