The People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) has expressed concern over the safety of passengers who utilize the motor vessels (MV) Malali and Kimbia to travel to their respective destinations.

According to a release from the party, the MV Malali which plies the Georgetown-Essequibo Coast route and the MV Kimbia which services the Georgetown-North West District route are handicapped. The PNCR said the MV Malali has a twin, screw vessel propulsion engine and that both engines are expected to be in working order whenever that vessel leaves a port. The release noted however, that only one engine has been in working order for well over six months. The party also said that the MV Kimbia was operating with only one rudder, when it is required by specification of the builder, to operate with two rudders.

When contacted, persons in the Marine Superintendent’s Office of the Transport and Harbours Department told Stabroek News that the relevant official was out of town.

The PNCR believes that the passengers’ safety would be at risk if either vessel were to encounter problems while en route to their respective destinations.

Should the MV Kimbia’s rudder encounter steering complications or the MV Malali encounter difficulties with its only operable engine, the party said, they would both be unable to travel to any harbour of safety and would become disabled vessels en route to their respective destinations, until such time that another vessel went to their assistance.

In addition, the party said in the release that under the Guyana Shipping Act 1998, Part X, entitled, Safety of Life at Sea, the subject minister is responsible for the monitoring of the vessels to ensure that they are safe.

The party is therefore calling on the Minister of Transport to take the necessary steps to ensure that the vessels in question are operated in accordance with passenger safety and other legal requirements.

Noting that the safety and comfort of passengers must be a priority, the PNCR said in the release that considerable passenger inconvenience as well as the loss of income by businesses dependent on the ferry services would result if the vessels were to become inoperable at sea.