The Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure has launched an investigation into the operations at the Supenaam Stelling.
According to a press release issued by GINA, General Manager of T&HD Marcelene Merchant indicated that the investigation which was launched yesterday will conclude by the end of the week.
She said that the assistant superintendent has already written a statement surrounding alleged preferential treatment and if the investigation concludes that any member of staff is culpable for any wrongdoings, disciplinary action will be taken.
According to the release, Merchant said that there is a system where 30 vehicles are usually allowed into the compound to go on the boat and the space for 12 vehicles is usually left for priorities and perishables.
If there are not so many priorities travelling on the particular crossing then other vehicles from the line are allowed to enter onto the vessel but vehicles are loaded on a first-come, first-served basis and are expected to be present at least an hour before departure time. The statement said that after commuters were complaining about the Parika-Supenaam ferry services, a rotation system was implement by the T&HD where the most senior supervising officer from each port is rotated.
The investigation was launched in the light of an article that was published yesterday in the Guyana Times, titled ‘Vehicle owners, businesses complain about staff at Supenaam Stelling – friends get preferential treatment.’
