Region 9 water taxi operators benefit from training
The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) recently collaborated with the Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) and Conservation International to conduct a training programme for water taxi captains and certification programme for boat operators at Caiman House, Yupukari Village, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
Twenty-eight water taxi operators were awarded a Certificate of Competency to operate as river Captains under the Licensing of Ships Regulation 2001, and are now appropriately equipped to operate safely on the rivers within the region.
Participants were drawn from, Yupukari, Massara, Toka, Karanambu Eco-lodge, and the Protected Areas Commission in Central
Some of the boat captains who participated in the training
Rupununi.
The training is one of the initiatives undertaken by MARAD with support partners to expand the outreach where maritime services are needed, but very difficult to access financially and logistically.
The GTA continues to lend support to MARAD as their standard operating procedure is to improve the safety and professional standard of river tours offered by various operators, based on Guyana’s growing nature-based tourism products, also to ensure operators are licenced to operate on the rivers.
Training in this aspect was conducted previously in July 2014, in Annai where 21 river taxi operators benefitted similarly.
