APNU/AFC election promises:

…want equal attention as Berbicians

Essequibians who utilise Government’s ferry service to access Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and other critical areas across the country especially Georgetown are calling on the David Granger-led Administration to reduce the current fares that they are made to pay when they utilise the Ferry Service. The residents said that they decided to push for Government to consider their plight given the immense attention that is being paid to Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Corentyne-Berbice) and the Berbice River Bridge toll reductions.

They claim that they are being neglected by the Government even though they have to pay fares that are far higher than those charged for persons who are travelling via the Berbice River Bridge on a daily basis. Since so many services are located in Georgetown, travelling to Georgetown is compulsory in many instances. They believe that they should receive attention like Berbicians.

Currently, a ticket on the ferry costs $380 per person and $1140 for a person with an empty vehicle (one-way).

A vehicle owner, therefore, has to pay a fee of $2280 for his vehicle and $1900 for five passengers – a total of $4180 – to journey from and to Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). Businesses pay twice that amount when their vehicles are weighed. A minibus with 15 passengers would have to pay the $2280 plus $5400 for the passengers for a total of $7680 if they wanted to take a trip to Parika.

This fee is massively more expensive when compared to the toll at the Berbice Bridge, and can only be utilised at weird hours of the day.

Persons traversing over the Berbice Bridge between Regions Five and Six, on the other hand, only have to pay a toll of $2200 and it is now proposed by the Government for this to be reduced to $1900 (return), a reduction of $300 compared to what a person travelling with a vehicle from Region Three to Region Two would pay. Commuters on the Berbice Bridge can travel across at any time of the day or night.

A passenger who is a frequent user of the ferry service, Wazad Bacchus, said that he believed that the same reduction Government announced for the Berbice Bridge should be applicable to Essequibians. He explained that on a daily basis many persons used the ferry to earn a livelihood and sometimes the fare took away some of their profits. Bacchus said many persons would be thankful if the fare for the ferry was reduced.

Another businessman, Terry Singh, said that businesses did not have other alternative to the ferry as there was no bridge from Region Two to Three. He said sometimes products would end up selling for more than they are being offered in the City of Georgetown because businesses have to recoup the transport costs.

Speaking to Phulmattie, (one name), a speedboat passenger from Essequibo to Parika, she complained bitterly, “I got to pay $1500 each way every day…this is $3000. Where am I going to get this kind of money? Essequibo only got rice, coconut and gramoxone? Is not like Berbice where they got four sugar estates and smuggling with Suriname. And yet we don’t get no break.”

On a daily basis, thousands of persons traverse the Essequibo River via the ferry to access education, health services and to conduct business.

Recently, Finance Minister Winston Jordan, told the National Assembly that the toll for passengers cars and buses on the Berbice Bridge would be reduced from $2200 to $1900, a 13.6 per cent decline. At the same time, the toll for all other types of vehicles was expected to be reduced by 10 per cent. Back in 2014, the then Opposition had passed a motion for the Berbice toll to be cut by half, but nothing was mentioned about the Essequibo ferry fares.

Persons from Essequibo Coast are of the view that should their fares be reduced, then many more persons will travel and persons can maximise on business opportunities available between Regions Two and Three. Jean Ram, a huckster who took produce to sell in Georgetown, said that many persons also voted for the AFC in Essequibo and she hoped that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo would also appoint a Special Representative from Region Two, like for Berbice.

Other reforms

Meanwhile, other residents are also calling on the A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government, to keep its election promise to the residents as it relates to the promised ferry transportation service improvements.

They are calling for a total revamping of the service being offered at the Supenaam Stelling by the two Chinese-made ferries.

At the moment, the Kanawan and Sabato ply the route from Region Two to Region Three two times a day. There is a statutory schedule with the boats which leave simultaneously from Supenaam to Parika at 04:00 in the morning and 05:00 in the evening from Parika to Supenaam.

This schedule, many persons explained, is very unreasonable, especially for businessmen and passengers, since 04:00h is an “ungodly hour”.According to Region Two Chairman Daveanand Ramdatt, the introduction of the new ferries was a very prudent and sound initiative by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).

Ramdatt, however, said that a total review needed to take place under the APNU/AFC Granger-led Administration as far as regulating the operations at the Supenaam and Parika Stellings are concerned.

The Regional Chairman said that there was also need for a total rescheduling of the hours of departure which could make persons more comfortable.

He said the Regional Administration level has received many complaints from persons about the timings for the ferry which are quite unreasonable. Ramdatt said many persons were of the opinion that the departure time should be 18:00h instead of 17:00h.

He said more emphasis needed to be placed at the Parika Stelling in ensuring that passengers get adequate parking. He said as it was the area was very congested with vendors.

The Chairman also said persons living with disabilities should be given priority on the ferry. He explained that the distance persons have to walk to access the service was very lengthy, and recommended that a mat be placed at the “walkway” leading to the ferry.

He is also of the view that vehicles should disembark the ferry last while passengers go ahead.

The newly-elected Chairman is calling for the establishment of a “task force” to manage the internal affairs of the ferry service with competent persons from Region Two overseeing.

Many residents also think that the Transport and Habours Department should implement a midday boat schedule to assist businesses. They have also called for a reduction in the fee for vehicles.

According to one businessman who traverses the route from Region Three to Region Two to conduct poultry sales twice a week, he pays $1140 for his empty vehicle.

When his vehicle is full with stock, he pays $3000 depending on the weight of the vehicle. The businessman said it was very unreasonable, when it comes to the weighing of the vehicles as sometimes you pay less and sometimes you pay more.

“I am not sure what the criteria is,” the man declared.

A vendor, Jason Watson, said that sometimes he feels that he is being treated unfairly by officers at the Stelling. Watson usually goes to Parika to buy vegetables and other items. He said he has to return on time to join the line in an effort to make it on the boat.

“Honestly sometimes people come from behind of you and go in front and you line up there long long and sometimes don’t make it… favouritism is very prevalent and if you have friends you get on the boat with ease and person who has business suffer”.

Businessmen are of the view that persons with perishable items should be given first priority at all times.

“Priority”

Businessmen, especially fishermen, who usually use the service to conduct business on the Essequibo Coast believe that they should be given priority at all times.

One fisherman, Dyal Latchman said that at one time he was denied entrance to the ferry although he was in the line for hours waiting to be booked. Latchman said he had almost 3000 pounds of fish and was left to wait for the evening boat.

He had joined the line at 23:00h, Latchman said and had to incur additional expenses to ice his fish until he made it on the boat.

“Drop in tourism”

According to the Manager of Lake Mainstay Resort, Wilfred Jagnarine the implementation of the ferry service was good, but there should be some review undertaken now.

He said many times visitors are left stranded at Parika and are often forced to cancel their bookings at the Resort. He said because of the varying schedule there has been a decline in tourists visiting the resort from outside the region.

He is calling on Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson to introduce a midday boat service to accommodate persons and vehicles who missed the morning trip.

Only recently, the Suddie Public Hospital ambulance was denied access to the ferry with two critical accident patients. The ambulance was supposed to be given priority but was not although nurses communicated with relevant officers about the patients who had to undergo emergency surgeries.

Persons are also calling for the officers who are working on the boat to wear proper forms of identification.