Over 13,000 persons had used the Berbice River water taxi service as of Saturday last, the Ministry of Public Infrastructure revealed yesterday.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Ministry yesterday afternoon, Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson said that the number of persons who utilized the river taxi during the period September 21 to October 3, totalled to 13,641 and included children and pensioners.
This is a significant increase from the first day which saw 382 passengers capitalizing on the river taxi service plying the New Amsterdam/Rosignol stellings’ route; the daily average has now climbed to over 1,100 people.
The water taxi service was an initiative implemented by the government in an effort to ease the financial burden of citizens crossing the Berbice River Bridge.
A one-way trip from New Amsterdam to Rosignol takes about 10 to 12 minutes, and costs $120.
That same trip over the bridge takes some eight minutes and costs $300. However, the river taxi service is available to toddlers, school-aged children up to the secondary level and pensioners free of cost.
Ferguson explained that while reports have been circulating in the media about minibus operators in that route losing income on a daily basis, she had met with representatives of the minibus association who expressed that while they welcomed the introduction of the river taxis they are concerned about their revenue.
According to Ferguson she had indicated to the operators that she plans to meet with Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan to discuss an extension of their road service licences, so that they can go beyond what the current licence entitles.
The water taxis were implemented owing to the failure to reach agreement with the Berbice Bridge Company Inc as regards a reduction in toll, which the coalition had promised during its elections campaign and which Minister of Finance Winston Jordan had announced during his budget speech this year.
