The Bartica Speedboat Association in a televised notice last night announced that the fare will be increased to $2,500 effective tomorrow; a move that has left residents angry.
Bartica businessman, Winston Miller Snr told Stabroek News that the notice was aired on Channel Five some time after 7 pm.
However, when contacted, President of the association Clarence Bell seemed unaware of the development. He initially said that the association has plans to increase the fare but had to first meet the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Transport.
When told that there was a notice was aired on Channel Five stating that fares will increase from tomorrow, Bell explained that he had been in the city all day. He said that he would make contact with his secretary to clarify the issue.
However subsequent efforts to contact Bell thereafter were unsuccessful.
Miller called the move unfair stressing that recently the Maritime Department published a notice in the newspaper saying that commuters must not pay an increase. During the Easter weekend the fare was raised to $2,500 and $3,000 but was later returned to the regular $2,000.
Miller told Stabroek News that the rise in gasoline prices is not a good enough excuse. He added that it is unfair to residents to be given a two-day notice of the increase.
