Latest update November 21st, 2024 1:00 AM
Truck owner raises questions of compensation
Truck owner, John Walcott
Ferry operations at Region Two, Essequibo, have resumed, after a truck laden with fertilizer, plunged into the Essequibo River on Tuesday morning. However, the owner of the vehicle is raising concerns who will compensate him.
According to the Minister of Public Works and Transport Robeson Benn, ferry operations with the MV Torani and MV Malali, resumed shortly after 16:30 hrs on Tuesday after workers, toiling for several hours, managed to hoist the truck from the Essequibo River.
Yesterday, Minister Robeson Benn, disclosed that from his initial reports, the loaded truck overrode the chocks and broke the protective chains on the gangway while it was coming off the ferry. With the chains broken, it then plunged into the waters at the Adventure Stelling. Kaieteur News had incorrectly quoted the Minister as saying the truck was overloaded.
When Kaieteur News contacted truck owner, John Walcott, he said that he is very “worried and perturb” about the entire situation, because everything was left for him to do Tuesday.
He said that to date no one has contacted him or even extended any sympathy.
Walcott was convinced that the Transport and Harbours Department (TH&D) is fully responsible for the mishap and as such should compensate him for both his vehicle and fertilizers.
The truck GEE 7332 was reportedly maneuvering from the MV Torani about 08:30 hrs Tuesday, shortly after the ferry docked at the Adventure Stelling, when it plunged overboard.
Ferry operations were delayed until 16:30 hrs, Minister Benn said yesterday, but the delay forced scores of vehicles and commuters to either turn back or to use the speedboats.
Walcott stated that his vehicle was in compliances with the stipulated 15 tons allotted to each truck. According to Walcott, TH&D’s policies regarding the weight of vehicles are clear. It states that “the stowing of all vehicles on the vessel is the reasonability of the personnel and drivers are expected to comply with instructions given. Failing to do so the (driver cannot hold) the department liable for any damage caused”.
Walcott said that his driver, Christopher Brown, was at all times complying.
Walcott claimed that as a result of the poor supervision by the TH&D personnel who were directing the offloading on the vessel, the MV Torani tilted to such as extent that the truck slid through the gangway on the opposite side of the vessel.
Walcott noted that the truck, which valued at $5 M, has since being retrieved from the river and is now with him. He is contemplating the way forward.
On Tuesday, Walcott, relating the incident, learnt from his driver that the truck had encountered “some serious problems” after disembarking from the MV Torani.
Walcott, who was observing the salvage operations for the entire day, said his truck, although insured may not be fully covered and even then would be out of commission for a long time.
Almost one month ago, operations had been shifted from the decades-old Adventure Stelling, the condition of which had been deteriorating for some time now, to a new multi-million-dollar stelling at Good Hope-Supenaam.
That stelling, located closer to Parika, was expected to have cut travel time by ferries across the Essequibo River by almost 90 minutes, and at the same time save the T&HD millions of dollars monthly in fuel costs.
However, four days after being commissioned, a loading ramp collapsed and operations shifted back to the Adventure Stelling.
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