Parika Ferry Stelling management did nothing about inconvenience caused by high tide

Dear Editor,

On Saturday 23rd March, 2019, about 06:00 hours I was at the Parika Ferry Stelling as a passenger that travelled early that morning.  The tide was unusually high, but to a level we had seen before, and I guess it was somewhere near that level on Thursday and Friday before that Saturday morning.

I can remember that the Guyana Maritime personnel long before that period had issued an advisory to all, particularly the captains, farmers, fishermen and all the people that live in the low lying areas, among other persons to be on high alert. It appears that the Management of the Transport and Harbours Department did not read that advisory or they don’t care about the people travelling during that period of time.

The water was more than six inches in height at the area nearest to the main gate, that is where the office is located, and everyone that I spoke to that I was certain is employed by the department apart from a couple seemed unconcerned about the situation. That was very, very confusing, and much to the inconvenience to the travelling public, the senior citizens, the pregnant mothers, the mothers with babies, the little children and motorists.

The touts with the hand carts, they were fetching people in the carts for $100 per head across that area that was no longer than three rods for a period of about one and half hour until the tide receded.

It is beyond the comprehension of any right thinking person that with all the warnings, the expectations, the benefits of hindsight and based on those factors management couldn’t have easily provided a temporary or makeshift walkway that would have negated the grave inconvenience caused during that period. Managers in the public sector must do an introspection of themselves.  I am sure that in the private sector the situation would have been different.

Yours faithfully,

Archie W. Cordis