Dear Editor,
Please permit me a space in your editorial column to express my views in your widely read newspaper. I am businessman who travels regularly from Essequibo to Georgetown and I used the speedboats to transport my goods to and fro.

However, on Thursday 29, August, 2019, about 17:00hrs while the sun was still up and shinning bright, I arrived at the Parika Stelling with my family and my goods which are brought from Georgetown to Essequibo to stock my business for the new school term. My family and I, along with 14 other passengers were on the Parika Stelling, when one of the MARAD representatives namely Charmaine Joseph was standing on the stelling.

It caught my attention when there was a Supenaam boat loading which could not have accommodate my load and my family, so I enquired as to the next boat that will be loading for Supenaam and I was told by the operators that they could not have load because the MARAD representative told them that they have to tie their boats and if they move or load their boat, she will report them and cause them to be grounded.

But during that time as I was standing and enquiring, I saw a boat was loading, namely “Dreams Express” so I decide to ask the Rasta Man who was at the steering wheel where the boat was going and his response was Bartica, to my amazement that boat will take about 90 minutes to arrive at Bartica and Joseph did not offer a single word to those Bartica operators.

It is known that from Parika to Supenaam, it only takes about 25 to 30 minutes, then why are these operator officers being bias? At 17: 5hrs, there were 16 passengers on the stelling, why couldn’t she (Joseph) dispatch a Supenaam boat?

Instead, she waited their till the Supenaam operators took their boats to the boat house and moored them. While standing there, she (Joseph) saw a boat named “Contented Youth” which is an unlicensed boat which was loading, and then she walked off the stelling.
That operator of “Contented Youth” charged each passenger $3,000 per person. Why couldn’t the boat that is in the association, of a rightful system load? A boat that pays for a yearly licence and pays tax and contribute to this country’s development are not allowed to work and an unlicensed boat with an uncertified captain is allowed to operate anytime. It looks like we are heading backwards or it pays off to be illegal rather than legal. Without a doubt I think this is something MARAD needs to use their discretion on.

Essequibians are left to wonder what next to do because sometimes you are caught in a traffic jam at the Demerara Harbour Bridge resulting in lateness and when you have arrived at Parika, you have to pay extra just to meet your destination and there are persons who have to reach home to look after their loved ones and there are some who are even bedridden, and some are even singly parents trying to make a honest living and then you have to deal with this situation.

As we were in the boat I spoke to my fellow travelers and this was one of the views from a woman who had her five-year-old grandson with her. She related that both the child’s parents passed away along with her husband but she is taking care of him and went to the city to purchase goods to sell and provide for herself and the grandson.

What do these people want us to do? Steal or become prostitutes? It only leaves me to wonder if these MARAD officers have a business going on with these unlicensed boats. I only come to this conclusion after what I saw happened, if you are going to stop the legal boats to work who have licence and is certified to operate on the waterways then it leaves me with no other choice but to think that MARAD officers at Parika are corrupt. I am calling on the government and President David Granger to look into the welfare of Essequibians, please bring some relief to this situation, so our fellow travelers can enjoy the good, safe and reliable service offer to us by the PSSA – Parika Supenaam Speed Boat Association).

With Guyana soon to start producing oil, it will be a significant growth for tourists entering our beautiful country and for sure they will have access to the speed boat services that are available, since Guyana is a land of many waters.

Once again the actions of these MARAD officials are only bringing a bad reflection on the government and I am quite sure that this is not the way the government would want it to be. They are only giving the Essequibians more reasons to see the President and his Cabinet as bad. I plead once more Mr. President, we the travelling public, are appealing to you to look into this matter, urgently.
Regards
Concerned commuters