A floating lighted buoy has been placed Sunday at three kilometres south to the span number 12 and 13 of the Padma bridge to help ferries avoid colliding with the piers while passing under it.
The decision to place the buoy was taken in a meeting of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), Bangladesh Inland Water Transport and Communication (BIWTC), Bangladesh Armed Forces, and the bridge authority to determine procedures to protect the bridge piers from collision with ferries on Shimulia-Banglabazar route.
As ferries plying from Bangla Bazar to Shimulia have to face a strong current immediately after passing the Hajra channel just 1.3 km away from the bridge it becomes difficult for the navigators to control the turn that led to consecutive incidents of collisions in the area in last few days, according to the authorities.
Now the ferries will target the buoy after passing Hajra channel and will be able to adjust the heading control with the current before reaching near the bridge, they said.
Already ferries started moving targeting the buoy and the authority plans to place a spherical buoy later after conducting a hydrographic survey on Monday.
Meanwhile for navigation on Banglabazar-Shimulia route ferries were suggested to move through the span 11,12,13 and 14 area.
As the vessels moving on Shimulia-Banglabazar route will move against the current and less likely to lose control, authorities suggested they use span 6,7 and the adjoining two spans according to the situation.