Guyana’s first online ferry booking system will be launched on Saturday for persons travelling the Parika/Supenaam route by the Transport and Harbours (TH&D) Department, according to acting Director of Tourism Kamrul Baksh.
Baksh made the disclosure on Tuesday at Herdmanston Lodge, while speaking at the launch of four new tourism products.
Earlier in the week the Ministry of Public Works had announced that it will be launching the service but did not specify a date. The notice published on its Facebook page said, “Coming Soon, Online Booking.” The online booking at this point will only be available for the Parika/Supenaam Route and will serve to ease vehicular traffic congestion and wait time at the ferries.
In August, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, announced in the National Assembly that T&HD was working ‘hard’ to implement an online ticketing system.
“We are working very hard for an October 1 deadline for online booking for the ferries, so no one has to go there at 8 o’clock [pm] to line up to get a number to board at 5 o’clock in the morning. You’ll be able to book, you pay and you show up…”
Edghill, while responding to questions from member Dharamkumar Seeraj on what measures his ministry has taken to bring comfort to passengers, told the House they are working to implement the online system by October.
Back in May, when Edghill commissioned the $82 million stelling at Fort Island, he made the disclosure that they were working on an online system.
The system he stated, will give them the opportunity to be able to judge on a daily basis how many trips a vessel can make and determine in advance if they need to put additional trips in place.
“Modernisation is something that is important, so online booking is the next major thing that needs to happen,” the subject minister had said.
Recently, with just one vessel in operation between Parika and Supenaam, commuters have complained of a lengthy delay whenever they set out to travel.
