Babu, a ferry operator from Andhra Pradesh, is currently in the headlines. A ferry is a boat that transports passengers and sometimes also vehicles, usually across rivers or short stretches of sea. According to Local 18 Andhra Pradesh, he has been earning his living by rowing the ferry for a long time now. His family has also been involved in the ferry running since 1980. In an earlier interview, Babu said that his grandfathers have been involved in the ferry-running business since 1912. His family hails from the Polavaram village of West Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. The Andhra Pradesh-based ferry operator says that in 1912, people used to go from one river bank to another by cycle. Now, however, he and other ferry operators take them to different river banks on their boats safely. Currently, the ferry men are rowing the boats from Polavaram in West Godavari district to Purushothapatnam in East Godavari district. They also take the boats from Purushothapatnam to Polavaram to drop the passengers safely.
Babu said that he would always take the motorcycle passengers safely to the Godavari in his ferries. He stopped this during floods. The ferries are stopped the moment the men receive the first warning sign of a flood.
According to Babu, if anyone wishes to drive these ferries, they should take proper training. As per him, the aspirants will also have to get a driving licence from the port. Life jackets will also be given to all the boarded passengers so that there are no accidents. The ferry men will take a limited number of passengers, while taking safety precautions. At present, the weight of the launches is two and a half tons. Babu said that he would carry a weight between 500 to 1000 Kg during the journey. He says that the ferry men will run two boats with passengers every day. According to him, they will also provide work for three others. He said that the ferry business is profitable during the rest of the days, except the days when there are floods.
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