MARAD announces new operating hours for water taxis

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has announced new operating hours for water taxis plying the Parika – Wakenaam – Supenaam and Parika – Leguan services effective immediately.
The hours of operation of the water taxis on the Parika – Wakenaam – Supenaam and Parika – Leguan routes will be from 05:30h to 17:30h.
However, water taxis that operate in the Demerara River between Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop are permitted to operate from 05:30h to 20:00h.
“This takes effect immediately and will remain in effect until otherwise amended by the Department. Failure to comply with the above instruction can lead to the immediate revocation of operating licences,” the Department warned.
Just last October, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill made it clear that water taxis operating in the Essequibo River were only allowed to operate during daylight hours since these vessels are not built to navigate at night.
The Minister has explained that the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has standard operating times and Government will not condone any activities beyond the prescribed period.
Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar had also expressed that operators should not flout the guidelines intended for their safety and those of the passengers they’re taking.
“Who goes to tell their family that the operator decided to travel in the night and hit a rock? Sometimes it looks like the Government is not regulating but people can’t do their own thing outside of the guidelines that MARAD has. We’re not going to introduce things to accommodate behaviour outside of the prescribed timing. There is a safe time to operate passenger vessels using those speedboats. We’re not going to allow that. That is the position of our Government,” Indar had stated.
In February, MARAD with support from the Guyana Coast Guard carried out an exercise along the Essequibo and Mazaruni Rivers where boat operators, captains, bowmen and owners were stopped and checked for documentation. The exercise, MARAD assured, was not meant to penalise anyone, instead, it was a compliance survey.
As vessels were stopped during transit on the rivers, the team conducted quick inspections for life vests, boat registration or licences, captain licences, bowman badges and worthiness of the vessels, and what was unearthed were many cases of non-compliance with the Maritime Law.
Defaulting operators were advised that operating vessels without the requisite compliance is in fact a breach of the Maritime Law, which must be adhered to at all times, and errant and non-compliant operators will be fined and prosecuted accordingly.