THE Essequibo River roll-on, roll-off ferries, MV Sabanto and MV Kanawan are expected to undergo rehabilitation in the dockyard in the months ahead.

The two Chinese-built ferries are expected to undergo repairs in 2019 according to estimates of the 2019 national budget at a cost of $180M. The vessels will undergo repairs in order to have improved facilities and services, according to the description of the project.
The two ferries have been experiencing technical issues in recent months. Last weekend, the Sabanto departed Supenaam for Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo but on arrival at its destination, the ramp which allows for vehicles to roll-on/roll-off as well as for passengers to disembark, malfunctioned. The passengers were stranded on board for close to two hours.

Meanwhile, in the 2019 national budget, a sum of $2B was set aside in acquisition costs for a new ferry from India. The sum is expected to be part of the $3.2B total cost of the vessel which will serve passengers in the Barima-Waini Region. In September this year, government announced that a US$15.6 million ($3.2 billion) contract for the construction and supply of a passenger and cargo ferry vessel, and associated equipment, has been awarded to SHOFT Shipyard Private Limited of India.

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, made the announcement at a post-cabinet briefing and he explained at the time that the contract took some time as the funding arrangements had to be finalised. The new vessel will be operated on the routes between Georgetown and the North West District.

The call for a new vessel for the North West District route has been a long time coming as many describe the journey on the current vessel as treacherous and the service unreliable. It was noted that the vessels that usually traverse the Georgetown-Mabaruma route have “exceeded their lifespan” and the service provided to the residents has been compromised, as the vessels are in constant need of repairs.