Dear Editor,
The Bartica Speed Boat Association recently had a fare hike of $500 bringing the fare to $2,500 one way. I am not criticizing them for the increase, but only about 8 boats deserve this increase. They are the ones which are always clean, painted, have cushioned seats and back rests, are courteous, fast, have sheds and do not leak.
Some of the others are like the minibuses – ‘give this passenger a squeeze, he coming off just now.’ They pack cargo in your foot space, have five persons very tight in a seat, and have life jackets which are dirty and frowsy and cause itching around your neck.
The captains and sailors or bowmen are improperly dressed; they often run out of gas close to your destination; and on some parts of the boat you can see ‘jumbie umbrella’ growing. As for your luggage, a suitcase is $2000, a carton, $1000, and so on.
If you object to paying you get a good ‘cuss up.’
Most of these unruly boat operators are workers plying the route for the boat owners, just like the minibuses. Why can’t the owners be on the boats to see that passengers are treated like human beings?
I am calling on the maritime authorities to pull in certain boats and re-examine them for seating accommodation, and the number of passengers who can be carried in a single-engine or double-engine boat according to its size.
Yours faithfully,
Winston B Miller Snr
