Ferries on Shimulia-Banglabazar route are going to stay for now even after the opening of the Padma Bridge next week, according to relevant officials. The widely used ferry terminal named Mawa ghat(Shimulia-Banglabazar route) is likely to remain operational even after the country’s longest ever (6.15 km) bridge opens to vehicular traffic on June 26, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina  is scheduled to declare it open at a grand ceremony on June 25. At present, four ferries (Kunjalata, Kadam, Begum Rokeya, Begum Sufia Kamal) transport a total of 62,500 people and 2,900 vehicles per day through the Shimulia-Banglabazar route, while 21 ferries transport around 10,000 vehicles per day via Paturia-Daulatdia route. Currently, only light passenger vehicles are transported via the Shimulia-Banglabazar route while goods-laden heavy vehicles are transported via the Paturia-Daulatdia route. State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury said recently that the ferry terminal at Shimulia will remain open even after the inauguration of Padma Bridge. Read: Padma Bridge an eye opener to foreign investors: Saudi envoy At least12 more ferries will be added to the Shimulia-Banglabazar route, he said, signaling that ferries will be kept operational even after the opening of the Padma Bridge.  He also hoped that demand for ferries will increase at the Shimulia Ghat in the coming days. As the toll rate for using the Padma Bridge is almost 50 per cent more than the ferry fares, it is likely that a lot of commuters will keep using the ferries to reduce their transport costs. The state minister also mentioned that a tourist-centric eco zone will be set up at Shimulia to generate employment. “No one from the areas adjacent to the Padma Bridge will remain unemployed,” said Khalid. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation ( BIWTC) informed UNB that they have a big plan centering the Shimulia ghat and its adjacent areas. One of them is to keep ferries operational.