– says ordinary citizens, businesses are suffering

By Indrawattie Natram

The Essequibo Chamber of Commerce has now added its voice to calls for the Government of Guyana to immediately take action that would result in the reduction of the unreasonable fares that businesses and ordinary citizens are made to pay when they utilise the ferry service on a daily basis.

Ravi D Mohan, Executive of Essequibo Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber’s call comes at a time when several other regional and national bodies have called on the newly-elected David Granger Government to also pay attention to the commuting woes of Essequibians in the same way attention is being placed on Guyanese affected at Berbice and other parts of the country.

Essequibo Chamber of Commerce Executive Member Ravi Mohan, speaking with the Guyana Times during an exclusive interview, said there was a need to reform the public transportation system within Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam)  to make it more economical for businesses and ordinary citizens, especially the elderly and the poor.

Speaking on behalf of businesses first, Mohan said that persons doing business within the region were made to face unnecessary expenses while losing millions of dollars monthly because of the time wasted waiting to access the ferry service and making arrangements to transport goods from one economic hub to another via the vessels.

“Time is money” and it is only fair that something be done to ease the burden on those whose livelihoods depend on the ferry service, Mohan said.

The Chamber Executive pointed out that many times ordinary businessmen and citizens suffer because discriminatory and preferential treatment is given to a select few to board the ferries and conduct their business.

Mohan maintained that Essequibo must be treated fairly like other regions and must benefit from the same concessions and subsidies offered by the Government to ease the plight of citizens.

He lamented that the journey to get to the stelling was a long one especially for persons who were utilising public transport. In addition to reduced fares, Mohan has called for the pathway leading from the ticket area of the stelling at Adventure to be covered to assist elders as well as the differently-able population who are most vulnerable.

One of chinese- made ferry at Supenaam stelling

Residents as well as businesses who are frequent users of the ferry voiced their concerns and noted the many challenges they are faced with using the service.

Reduced tolls Currently, persons travelling between Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) on the Berbice Bridge have to pay a toll of $2200 and it was proposed by the Government for this to be reduced to $1900 (return). Residents in Essequibo argued that the commuters on the Berbice Bridge could travel across at any time of the day or night, while their circumstances were much more complex.

Guyana Times also reported that recognising the “burdensome” costs also imposed upon Essequibians utilising the ferry system to travel between Georgetown and the Essequibo Coast, President of the Berbice Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC), Rajnauth Ramroop was urging the Government to pay heed to the calls currently being made by the users of the service.

Even while pushing for Government to focus on getting the Berbice Bridge Company Inc (BBCI) to lower its tolls to relieve the Berbicians, Ramroop admitted that the current fares for the Essequibians were equally expensive. Supporting his calls is David Sooknauth, an activist representing the views of the Berbicians who stated that the fares being paid by the Essequibians are certainly unreasonable and Government should find a way to reduce them. Furthermore, Region Two Vice Chairman Nandranie Coonjah has supported residents and businesses in their call for the reduction.

“I believe that we in Region Two need equal treatment… lower fares mean business for many persons and I strongly think consideration should be given,” Coonjah said.

The Opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic has also called on the Government to reduce the fares, citing the plight of Essequibians.

Currently, a ticket on the ferry costs $380 per person and $1140 for a person with an empty vehicle (one-way). Therefore, a journey back and forth for a vehicle owner would amount to $2280 plus an additional $1900 for five passengers – a total of $4180 to travel from and to Region Two.

A minibus with 15 passengers would have to pay the $2280 plus $5400 for the passengers for a total of $7680. Businesses pay twice that amount when their vehicles are weighed.

When using a speedboat passengers pay $1300 one way to Parika and $2600 return daily.