Water Transport
Inland Water Transport is taking safety measures for the safety of vessel passengers in response to recent bad weather and heavy rains.
“We design and implement plans for the safety of passengers during rainy season and we have assigned staff at the jetties to warn passengers against the possible risks, as well as asked vessel crew to assist with passengers in embarking and disembarking the vessel,” said an official of the Dala Township Office of Inland Water Transport.
“In case the weather is very bad, the vessel stops for a while until the weather returns normal. As the pontoon bridges are wet, passengers can slip and fall in the water, so we have assigned staff to watch over on pontoon bridges,” he added.
Currently, two vessels ply between Yangon’s Pansodan and Dala, and each vessel is equipped with sufficient life jackets, lifebelts for some 1,200 people. But only 300 to 350 passengers take the vessel per trip.
“We have equipped sufficient lifesaving materials, and warn passengers not to embark and disembark before the vessel docks. And vessel crew watch over passengers while embark and disembark the vessel,” said helmsman U Myint Aye of Cherry 1 Vessel.
On Dala side of the river, taxi drivers and bus conductors from highway buses often rush to grab for passengers once the vessel docks, which can be dangerous for passengers.
“I want authorities to bar them from entering the jetty. We can’t arrest them as we are not the police. We told them not to get on the vessel, but they don’t listen,” said a supervisor of Inland Water Transport.
The two vessels transport some 25,000 passengers per day currently, and waterway is currently main mode of transportation between Yangon and Dala.
Htet Khaing (Sanchaung)