Dear Editor,
In a letter captioned Is the dredging vessel Steve N serviceable? (07.03.24) Mr Cordis highlighted, like so many before him, the hardships being encountered by the people of Essequibo Coast who have to use the Parika/Adventure Ferry to meet their basic transportation needs to get to and from the city and beyond.
Unfortunately, the river transportation sector has suffered from many years of accumulated arrears of maintenance, renewals and im-provement as well as a shortage or lack therefrom of planning and executive personnel and of local skilled labour familiar with modern techniques.
In the 60s and early 70s when Guyana’s GDP was much smaller than it is today and as a graduate engineer working with a starting salary of $190/month, this ferry service made two trips per day from Parika to Adventure stopping en route at Hogg and Wakenaam Islands and generally maintaining its schedule. Today with Guyana enjoying a much higher GDP, the service instead of noticeable signs of continuous improvements over the years reversed into a downhill spiral of neglect with no evidence in sight to halt its deterioration.
The government has the responsibility to provide this region with a reliable and efficient river transportation system but sad to say, it has seemingly neglected its responsibility and has allowed the service to suffer from a prolonged period of neglected maintenance and renewals resulting in inadequate service and substantial operating losses.
If the government is really concerned about the plight of the Essequibo people, then it should institute proper planning, construction and operations for this ferry service and ensure that it is executed with maximum efficiency and economy. With a well-equipped and capably managed system giving faster and better service, operating costs should be reduced substantially and with revenues showing a significant increase, the deficit should be eliminated within a short period of time.
Better intercommunication between the Essequibo Coast/ Islands should be directed towards a better ferry service which will not only serve the economy efficiently but promote progressive growth in a region that has too long been neglected.
Finally the Malali, the only vessel providing daily ferry service should have been in the scrap yard a long time ago but it is limping along on one engine, arriving at its terminals as the tide permits. This derelict vessel apart from its mechanical handicap is restricted in its daily travels by the many obstacles in the form of sandbanks/sandbars/mudflats which it encounters during periods of low tide levels in the river channel bordering Hogg/ Wakenaam/Leguan Islands en-route to its destination. During the golden years, regular hydrographic surveys were carried out and echo soundings taken on the shifting channel of the Essequibo River to map out the safest route for navigation at all tide levels with buoys in the channels and targets on the river banks. Wherever and whenever necessary, the dredger, Sir Crawford would clear obstructions in the channels to keep them open for safe navigation. The Steve N replaced Sir Crawford but due to poor maintenance it is now moored at Georgetown Ferry Stelling awaiting repairs and an infusion of badly needed spares.
Sadly, the Parika/ Adven-ture ferry service is unlikely to improve anytime soon unless the Hon. Minister considers it a priority and prepares a plan of action with set targets to upgrade the service. All may not be lost however, since the President recently promised better service for the Guyanese people once CWC is over.
Hopefully, his pronouncement is not another ‘pipe dream’ and the government will indeed take concrete steps to address the urgent transportation needs of the people of Essequibo Coast/ Islands by providing them with an efficient, economic and safe ferry service that has evade them for the past several years.
Yours faithfully,
Charles Sohan
