Port Kaituma residents are calling on the authorities to improve the ferry service offered by the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) to the Region One area, some calling on the authorities to make available a new and faster vessel to serve the mining district.
Several residents from the area told Stabroek News yesterday that many of them suffered substantial losses recently after the vessel which plies the Georgetown/Port Kaituma route, the MV Lady Northcote developed mechanical problems last week Wednesday as the vessel was preparing to depart. They related that many passengers were left stranded, including persons who travelled to Georgetown from various parts of the coastland to board the ferry. According to the residents, many persons lost perishable goods worth thousands of dollars while remaining cargo, including mechanical parts and groceries such as rice and sugar were placed in a bond at the T&HD Water Street, Kingston location.
They said that the T&HD, “is not saying much”, as regards reimbursement for losses suffered as well freight paid for goods, including perishables. They noted also that they are trying to ascertain when the goods which are being stored at a bond at the T&HD wharf would be made available to them. Some persons told this newspaper yesterday that the T&HD agent at Port Kaituma related that the vessel has since entered the dockyard to undergo repairs.
Efforts to obtain a comment from the T&HD office yesterday proved futile; however, an official there told Stabroek News that the vessel is currently undergoing repairs.
Businessman Richard Allen, who told this newspaper that he has been utilizing the services offered by the T&HD over the years, said that he is at wits end as to when his goods, including kerosene oil and several bags of groceries would be made available to him by the T&HD. He said he intends to transfer his goods to another vessel, whose owner operates a service to the area so that same could reach Port Kaituma to serve the area. Allen and several residents, who spoke to this newspaper by telephone from Port Kaituma, said that he is “at a loss as to know what next to do”.
Vendor Sherry Adams related that many persons in the area pay sums of money to persons based in Georgetown to purchase goods and “send it up to Kaituma to sell back”. She said early last week, a relative in Georgetown purchased some $35,000 worth of perishable goods, including mangoes, apples and watermelons.
She said the goods were placed on the ferry and she soon got word that the vessel was unable to travel to the North West after encountering mechanical problems. She said, “everything was left right there at the wharf, and all spoil, that money gone down the drain”. Adams said that persons usually pay the required freight of $380 per piece of cargo. She noted too that the area does not have many alternatives since according to her, to transport goods by air, “is too expensive”.
Another vendor, Eletress Rose told Stabroek News from Port Kaituma that she lost several bags of perishable goods and according to her, “these people know that the boat isn’t working good, yet they still pack our goods on the ferry”. She said that the area is in need of a better vessel to serve the route.
Another resident told this newspaper that he has spare parts which are currently at the Kingston bond which he expects to sell to miners in the area. The man who operates a spare parts shop stated that the T&HD should “be more informative”, as regards the alternatives to remedy the current situation.
This newspaper understands that the MV Lady Northcote journeyed to the North West on January 10 and after encountering mechanical problems while en-route, the vessel was forced to return to Port Georgetown.
Passengers were then transferred to another vessel, the M V Kimbia which plies the Georgetown/Kumaka route, also in the North West and following arrangements made by the regional authorities, they eventually reached Port Kaituma several days later.
Residents at Port Kaituma stated that the T&HD then effected repairs to the Lady Northcote and soon after the vessel travelled to the gold mining area to deliver cargo left behind. The MV Kimbia and its ability to serve the North West route it currently serves has also been an issue raised by residents in the Mabaruma sub-region, many persons stating that the vessel should be repaired since, according to them, it has outlived its usefulness
In this year’s budget, some $342M has been budgeted for the docking and rehabilitation of Dredge Steve N, Split Barge, MB Baramani and MV Malali, and for the acquisition of spares and navigational aids.
It is unclear if this sum covers repairs being effected to the MV Lady Northcote.
