Dear Editor,
The Motor Vessel Malali and other Transport and Harbours vessels that are currently plying the Essequibo route, that is to say Parika to Adventure, work with the tide and in so doing can make one round trip during the time it used to make two. And this is because of the sand bank and the mud flat between the Island of Wakenaam and Leguan.
This system is causing commuters several hardships because it is difficult to make a trip to Georgetown and other areas like Linden, the upper East Coast and other areas, spend some time and get back home in one day; even if you are lucky to do same it can be very costly.
The vessel the Steve N which was made and named after a former Works Minister Steve Narine during the former administration was for dredging the banks and the rivers.
Is this dredge serviceable? I would not be able to say, but a few days ago it was moored along the Georgetown Ferry Stelling.
This current situation has existed for a very long time and what might be more troubling is that no one from the ministry or the minister is making any comment that would indicate to the general public how long this will continue for not everyone is comfortable using the speedboats from Supenaam to Parika. The cost and fear factor prevent many persons from doing so.
Decades ago we all used to see a fleet of Transport and Harbours vessels moored at various ports and stellings, now there are far fewer.
Navigating aids of different types that used to be seen in the rivers are no longer there. Though they are very important they are a thing of the past. On another Transport and Harbours related issue, some time late last year a decision was made to have all vehicles used solely for the purpose of transporting paddy, rice and all by products of rice.
That is, using the Transport and Harbours vessels to pay half of what they would normally pay. I think that was a very good idea, although the vehicle carrying all agricultural produce should have benefited, but a few days ago, I was speaking to an official of the department and was surprised to learn that that arrangement was for a short period only and it was not an ongoing one.
I am expecting that the public relations officer is going to make an attempt to rebut strongly the facts stated but the public and the commuters are always the best judge.
Yours faithfully,
Archie Winslow Cordis
