Second vessel arrives from Greece to service G/Town to Region 1 route

Reliable and comfortable travel to the North-West District in Region One (Barima-Waini) will soon be enhanced with the arrival of a second passenger ferry vessel from Greece.

The ‘Kalliopi N.’, which recently arrived at port Georgetown after a 5,200 miles journey that was self-powered, is a 2024-built air-conditioned vessel that has three Hyundai engines, two generators and moves at about 12 nautical miles per hour.
It has a seating capacity of 284, which is likely to be reviewed, with a fully air-conditioned cabin and can accommodate 51 cars or the equivalent of 14 trucks.
President Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday joined several officials for a tour and inspection of the new ferry that will ply the Georgetown to Region One route, which is currently being serviced by the India-manufactured MV Ma Lisha.
According to the Head of State, this vessel was acquired and designed specifically to service the North-West District route and is part of Government’s efforts to upgrade the country’s aged fleet.
In fact, he noted that they are also looking at procuring another vessel to service the Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) route.
“We know Region Seven 7 is asking about their new vessel. So, we are in the process of reviewing some other vessels that are available on the market so we can have another vessel there,” the President stated.
He went on to add, “…incrementally, over the next few years, we will also be looking at replacing all the older vessels so we can have the same level of service in all the regions.”
The ‘Kalliopi N.’ is one of two vessels recently acquired from Greece. The first, MV Konawaruk 1899 (formerly, MV ARIS IV) arrived in Guyana early December and is already servicing the Parika to Supenaam route.
Both of these vessels have front-on loading for which government has been upgrading its wharves and port facilities to accommodate, including in Region One, at Kingston in Georgetown, at Parika, and in the islands across the Essequibo River, where government will soon introduce ferry services.
“So, it’s not only about the vessels. It’s also about upgrading our infrastructure,” President Ali declared.
Among the officials on the tour of the vessel was Public Utilities and Aviation Minister, Deodat Indar, who noted that the newly acquired ‘Kalliopi N.’, which is expected to be renamed at its commissioning, will enhance travel to the North-West District region.
“It can make the trip between Georgetown to Region One very quickly in coastal waters. That 12 nautical miles was ocean water, which is very rough and so on. But on the coastal water, it is much smoother. You can work even faster. So, this vessel, the upholstery, the engines, everything is very new. It requires care and maintenance when in operation,” Indar observed.
The minister went onto reiterate Government’s plans for bolstering the maritime transport services across the country to make it more convenient for citizens.
“So, our mandate is really to make sure that travel is reliable. And we have the capacity to deal with the increasing number of trips that we are seeing for Region One. And for the Parika-Supenaam-Bartica circuit area,” he added.
Prior to setting sail for Guyana, the vessel, which previously operated in the internal waters of Greece, was modified for the ocean journey across the Atlantic led by Netherlands-based maritime transportation company, Redwise. Acquired by Guyana’s Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the vessel had undergone a long process of vetting and procurement.
Director General of MARAD, Captain Stephen Thomas, says this vessel, “…is going to shorten travel time significantly, and improve the quality of transport here in Guyana.”
Just last month, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, and other officials commissioned the MV Konawaruk 1899 into service on the Parika–Supenaam route.
The US$5 million vessel immediately went into operation, with passengers joining its maiden voyage to Supenaam on December 19.
In his feature address, PM Phillips underscored that the ferry represents the Government’s investment in the people of Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) and Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
“It means the farmers’ produce from Region Two reaches the markets of Region Three with its freshness intact and its value undiminished. It means businesses move at the speed of opportunity, not the speed of outdated schedules,” the Prime Minister stated.
Named after an Amerindian area in Region Eight, the MV Konawaruk has capacity for more than 300 passengers and 81 cars, easing longstanding concerns about limited space on the route.