THE Guyana-Suriname ferry service will be restored temporarily on Friday to facilitate those Guyanese and Surinamese who did not get to catch the ferry before it was pulled off the run.

According to earlier reports, the service was suspended on Monday because the M.V. Canawaima was having mechanical problems.

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MoPI) said in a press statement on Tuesday that the M.B. Sandaka will be temporarily operating the Guyana-Suriname route from May 31, 2019 until June 2, 2019.

“It will depart the Moleson Creek Terminal in Guyana at 09:00hrs (Check-in: 06:30hrs to 08:00 hrs Guyana time) and depart South Drain over in Suriname at 11:30 hrs (Check-in: 08:00 hrs to 10:00hrs Suriname time),” the MoPI said.

According to the ministry, the window was created to facilitate the return of passengers and vehicles stranded on either sides of the border, but that thereafter, the service will again be suspended until further notice.

It, however, said that being a smaller vessel, the M.B. Sandaka will not be able to accommodate 20ft and 40ft containers and trucks higher than 3m and wider than 2.7m. As Terminal Manager Gale Culley-Greene had explained before, the M.V. Canawaima had been having mechanical difficulties for some time now, and a decision was taken to have it assessed and repaired.

She’d further disclosed that should the ferry have to be docked, another vessel would be sourced to take its place. The matter is currently said to be engaging the attention of both the Guyanese and Surinamese authorities.

It is not the first time the ferry service has been suspended due to mechanical problems with the vessel. Back in January 2018, the ferry service was down from January 6-14, and had been scheduled for emergency docking in order to restore both engines.

“The M.V. Canawaima continues to experience extensive mechanical challenges that prompted the hire of a tug to assist in the propulsion of the vessel,” then Terminal Manager Deyne Harry had told a news conference at the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

The ferry, which travels from Moleson Creek on the Guyana side of the border with Suriname to South Drain on the other side, has been reportedly delayed on several occasions due to mechanical problems.