Dear Editor,
Please allow me space in your newspaper to vent my frustration. Have you ever arrived nine hours early for an event only to be told later that you can’t attend? Well, I have been in this situation too often with the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) Ferry Service (Parika-Supenaam).
Travelling between Supenaam and Parika with a vehicle via the ferry service is one of the most excruciatingly painful situations one can face; it is mentally and physically exhausting. When the new ferries had just arrived, there was a booking system whereby one could come and book their vehicle license plate number in advance to guarantee a space on the boat; a few months later, this booking system was forgotten and the bullying and bribery system took over.
On Thursday last, I arrived at the Parika wharf at 10:45 pm to ensure my space on the boat that was scheduled to leave at 8 am Friday morning. Imagine sitting in your car all the time in a line only to be told at 5:00 am that you cannot get on the boat as there were ‘other’ vehicles that needed to be loaded.
When I questioned the personnel as to what exactly are these ‘other’ vehicles and what gives these persons preference over other people who have been waiting for hours, I was greeted with a face which I do not wish to describe. A few minutes later, myself along with other drivers who have been waiting for hours could vividly see drivers who had just arrived ‘pass a lil something’ and they were allowed to board the boat.
I refused to fall prey to a system of bullying and bribery so I sat in my vehicle and looked on as people were given preference because they could buy their way through. I was the second person in line at the gate and I could have easily gotten onto that boat if bribery didn’t play a part and fairness was taken into consideration.
About 15 to 20 vehicles passed by me and were given entrance as the drivers paid up. As I sat there, I thought to myself that in Guyana one has to have enough money to squander wastefully in order to get something done. I then ventured to the same gate man who had been giving those vehicles entrance and asked why these vehicles that had just arrived given entrance and we who have been waiting for hours were denied and he just looked me in my face as if I were speaking another language and walked away.
I do not understand why these people behave as if we are begging our way onto this ferry, we are paying users and we deserve to be treated better. These T&HD workers need to be reassessed as their attitude towards people is atrocious. Anyways, after all that commotion, I was eventually told that the boat is full to capacity and I would have to wait on the next boat which was at 4 pm the same afternoon so I eventually sat in my vehicle for 15 hours. Mind you, I was not the only person left behind; other people who were also there as early as I was were forced to stay back in their vehicles even though many of these vehicles had mothers with babies.
I write not only to vent my anger, but also with a hope that someone who could better this situation would see this and do something. This needs to stop and we need a regularised and fair system to be put in place so that travellers could be eased of the nightmare of travelling with a vehicle between Parika and Supenaam. I have only described one instance of this nightmare; I have been in this situation many other times.
Yours truly,
A frustrated citizen
