Praising others…

WATER taxi operators, plying the Stabroek to Vreed-en-Hoop and Parika to Bartica routes, have been praised by Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Mr. Robeson Benn.

Speaking at his 2010 year end press conference, in his Wight’s Lane, Kingston, Georgetown office, last December 31, he expressed satisfaction with how they have improved passenger comfort, safety and overall ambience of the service they are providing.

But he warned others, who are yet to comply with the regulations that they have to conform or be pushed out.

Benn called on those operating speedboats on the Stabroek/Vreed-en-Hoop, Parika/Bartica and Parika/Supenaam routes to outfit their vessels with windscreens, sheds, cushions, and side flaps to keep out sprays.

Noting that there has been some resistance from the Parika/Supenaam operators, he declared his unhappiness that their service is still lagging behind.

He said, on that route, only Bovell’s Speedboat Service has fitted its boats with sheds and, according to reports reaching him, a couple of others are in the process of doing likewise.
Benn observed that, as a result of the improvements by the two services which have sheds and cushions in place, more people are travelling with them.

“In this particular instance, we have seen where we can take an initiative which improves the travelling comfort of our people. It is moving there but very slowly. I have heard of them giving a commitment that, by the end of the first quarter of 2011, they will come on board with this on the Parika/Supenaam service. I hope it happens. They have been lagging too far behind in this matter. They have not been helpful and we cannot allow the situation to continue much longer, because the boats are loaded in line,” he stated.

According to him, most people prefer to wait for a boat that has a cover, so they can shelter from the sun, rain and splashing waves.

He speculated that there may be problems for the operators but said he “is siding  with those who are putting sheds, covers and cushions on their boats.”

“That’s the way we are going, steadily improving and they have to come along or be left out. They have to come along or we’ll push them out,” Benn threatened.
”We’ve got to have improvements there,” he maintained, disclosing that he has received letters of complaint from the Police, the Magistracy in Essequibo, the Chamber of Commerce and ordinary citizens who have been seeing the improvements in the other areas and “want to know why Essequibo is still Cinderella.”

During the last quarter of 2010, a group of 150 residents, calling themselves ‘Concerned Citizens of Essequibo Coast’, registered their concern and called for the boats operating the Parika/Supenaam route to install protective covers, protesting that they suffer from the bumpy rides and sprays from the waves when the tides are rough.