Passengers to the north west who have suffered through voyages for years on decrepit ferries will have a new vessel in 12 to 18 months, Public Works Minister Robeson Benn has announced , according to the Government Information Agency.
It is expected that the new vessel will be more comfortable and faster, thereby reducing the hours of travelling and will accommodate more passengers, GINA reported.
GINA said this announcement was made by Benn during community meetings in Region One over the weekend.
It comes after years of complaints by commuters about the state of the ferries plying the north west and numerous scares with engine troubles and other problems.
The Minister told the residents of the new development at White Water where concerns about river transport were raised. Residents, according to GINA, said that they are challenged by the travel schedule which is restricted as a result of the dry-docking of the vessel, MV Kimbia which is undergoing repairs to the hull and machinery.
The ferry is expected to be back in service in a few weeks. GINA said that before the Kimbia started to service the north west, the Lady Northcote and the Barima were plying the route.
Benn said that active discussions are ongoing with regards to acquiring the new ferry and it is anticipated that it will be sourced within 12 to 18 months, GINA said.
GINA said it was observed that much of the agricultural produce in the region originates from Georgetown, and Benn was optimistic that that trend would be reversed when the new boat is secured since in the past a lot of agricultural produce originated from the north west.
In March last year, Benn had told Stabroek News that government had looked at a number of options for replacing ferries- all expensive. He said that they are looking at either a new or used vessel. “Within a year or 18 months we should have a firm position or action on it,” he added.
Over the years, there have been calls for the vessels to be replaced. The MV Kimbia is a passenger and cargo vessel which is said to be one of the oldest vessels in the maritime public transport system with more than 70 years serving the Transport and Harbours Department. It is reported to have been on the waters locally since the 1940s, according to Chapter 38: Transport Development of the National Development Strategy (NDS) of 1996. The vessel, which is capable of ferrying a total of 200 passengers, has been plying the North West route for over two decades on a fortnightly basis. It is seen as an important form of transportation by residents in the North West District since it transports a variety of perishable and non-perishable goods. It has experienced a number of mechanical problems in the past.
The MV Lady Northcote has for years been one of the main means of river transportation. In February 2010, the vessel broke down at the Georgetown port and commuters with perishable items lost heavily. It has also experienced mechanical problems and there have been extensive pleadings by those who use the service for improvement of the transportation system.
