Hundreds of passengers scheduled to depart the Supenaam Ferry Stelling in Region Two at 16:00h on Sunday were left stranded after the captain of the boat announced that the boat was out of fuel.
Passengers were inconvenienced, frustrated, and therefore angry. Most of them,
The MV Kanawan leaving the port after the captain told passengers the vessel had no fuel
having already made plans to journey with the boat to Region Three, questioned how the ferry was being managed, and why it is that the boat was not fuelled before the journey had commenced. Several persons, including those who had babies onboard, had to resort to using speedboats to continue their journey, while truck owners were forced to stay onboard the ferry.
A truck owner who told Guyana Times that he was transporting “perishable goods” questioned whether he would be refunded the cost of his goods. And a businessman said he was due to make a delivery within a certain time, but with the ferry being out of operation he cannot honour the deadline.
Passengers generally said they were quite fed-up with the ferry service. “If the boat engine doesn’t have issues, it’s high tide. If it’s not high tide, then it’s (the boat being) out of fuel. If Government is providing a service to the people, then that
Some of the stranded passengers
service must be prompt and reliable,” one passenger lamented.
Confusion
The passengers were left in a state of confusion after they were told they would not be able to board the MV Kanawan, from Supenaam to Parika, because its fuel tanks were empty. However, the same vessel started its engine and left the port approximately an hour after.
The MV Kanawan was expected to depart Supenaam at 16:00hrs on Sunday but the passengers said that they were told that the vessel have no fuel and as a result they were debarred from boarding. They told this publication that the information from the stelling authorities were not forthcoming and as such they are unable to make alternative arrangements.
One passenger, Rado Persaud, said he along with another passenger is willing to
Some of the trucks transporting goods from Supenaam to Parika and other parts of the country
provide fuel for the vessel providing it is discounted from their fares. “We willing to fuel up this boat but the people (stelling officials) nah come forward and say nothing…we have goods to take to Georgetown because tomorrow is Monday and is the day for us to do business,” he said.
Persaud said that he has been travelling the Supenaam-Parika route almost daily for a number of years but this is the first time he ever encountered such a situation. “I does use this boat almost every day and every trip I make is $35,000. I does have to pay for my truck…right now my truck sitting down there with rice from the millers waiting to go to Georgetown,” he informed.
“…if this rice don’t meet the customers then the millers will lose their contracts and they nah go be able to pay the farmers and then we all will suffer,” Persaud added.
However, at around 17:30hrs the MV Kanawan started its engines and moved out of the loading dock to allow the MV Sabanto to discharge passengers as well as cargo. This left the stranded passengers both confused and angry as to the reason they were not allowed to board the vessel.
Another passenger, Dayal (only name given), told the Guyana Times that he is transporting perishable goods and as such it is imperative for him to reach his destination at the allotted time. “I have ‘goods’ to take to my customers and I will lose if they keep we here till tomorrow…they nah tell you anything and nobody nah look like them care,” the irate man said.
He noted that there are approximately seventeen trucks with ‘goods’ to be delivered within an allotted time or they stand to lose their customers to other suppliers. However, at around 18:30hrs passengers were able to board the MV Sabanto with no explanation or apology from the officials. They are dubbing the way they were treated as inhumane and inconsiderate and are calling on the relevant authorities to launch an investigation into the matter. They are also hoping that such an incident never occur again.
When the Guyana Times contacted General Manager of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), Marcelene Merchant, she indicated that she is on vacation leave but promised to return a call with clarifications. However, up until press time the call was not returned and subsequent efforts to contact her proved futile.
