–as repairs wrapped up

THE M.V. Sabanto vessel, which plies the Parika to Essequibo route, has returned to its original 90-minute travel time, after repairs on one of its engines were completed.

This is according to the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), which stated that the vessel was operating on one engine for some time, resulting in a longer travel time on its regular route. The Department said that this result was possible due to diligent work over the past weeks.

Just last week, Public Works Minister Bishop Juan Edghill told the Parliamentary Committee of Supply that the necessary parts were in the country, and works are ongoing on board the vessel to rectify the issue which caused it to operate on one engine for some time.

Every time one of the vessels faces challenges, there is a build-up of traffic. Cognisant of this issue, while the M.V. Sabanto was sailing, according to Minister Edghill, MACORP technicians were on the boat working to fix the engine.

“We had a choice of taking the boat out of service and parking it until it’s fixed, or we go with a boat that’s not as fast as it used to be but continue to provide the service, because the trucks with the gas, the trucks with the provisions, the trucks with the coconut water, with all the products coming out, need to get out, and the supplies going into the Essequibo need to go,” he told the Committee.

Against this backdrop, Edghill said that the decision was made to continue to sail while the work was being done.
Additionally, in response to the question, he told the House that there is another vessel which is encountering issues that needs to go into dry dock to be fixed, however, these repairs need to be strategically timed to ensure the public is not disenfranchised.

Meanwhile, Edghill said that the government is happy to tell the people of the country that despite the challenges faced with ageing vessels, and the difficulty of acquiring spare parts, they have been able to keep the service going to ensure that people and goods get to their destinations, and in many instances improving the efficiency of the service.