Although the number of passengers has dropped during the CO-VID-19 outbreak, Inland Water Transport has plied Wardan-Dala ferries regularly without reducing the number of trips in accordance with the rules of the Ministry of Health and Sports, according to Inland Water Transport(IWT).
“Ticket fares have not changed for Wardan-Dala trips. The number of daily trips has not changed. We ply them when there are cars to cross the river. Frankly, the number of trips has dropped as only a few people go outside. We have two ferries for the round trip. Yesterday, we plied 14 trips. We told people to wear masks and gave masks to people who had not carried ones and launched awareness-raising campaigns on the ferries,” said General Manager U Win Ko Aung of the IWT.
The services for Wardan-Dala trips are being provided from 5 am to 7 pm with the use of one Ro-Ro vessel at Wardan jetty and another Ro-Ro vessel at Dala jetty. Although the ferries plied 15 round trips, transporting about 700 vehicles daily in the pasts, the number of trips has dropped during the COVID-19 outbreak.
A Ro-Ro vessel can carry up to 24 vehicles as cars can be driven to board and get off the vessel, it is a convenient method of transport for vehicles. The ferries charge K 2,500 for a vehicle of less than one ton, Ks-3,000 for a vehicle between one and two tons, Ks-4,000 for a vehicle between two and three tons, Ks-5,000 for a vehicle between three and six tons, Ks-8,000 for a vehicle between six and 12 tons and Ks-2,000 for one ton of cargo.
Wardan-Dala ferries are being used by people from Pyapon, Bogale, Kyaiklatt, Dedaye, Maubin in Ayeyawady Region and Kwunchan-gone, Kawhmu, Twantay in Yangon Region for transportation of vehicles, goods and health and business purposes daily.