Leguan Ferry Stelling stairway in urgent need of repair

Jun 06, 2011 News

It has been almost two months since the travelling public between Enterprise, Leguan, and Parika has been calling on the authorities to effect repairs to the stairway of the Transport and Harbour Stelling at Enterprise, Leguan.
However to date nothing has been done and the stairway is on the verge of completely detaching itself from the rest of the stelling.
The stairway collapsed after one of the ferries, which plies the Parika to Leguan route, collided with three large planks next to the stelling. The force with which the planks were struck sent them into the step which was used by passengers to get on and off speedboats. Residents of the Island depend mainly on the services of the Transport and Harbours Department and the privately owned speedboats. What is more frustrating for the residents there, is the fact that there is no fixed schedule for the Transport and Harbours ferry service. The ferry would leave Leguan each morning for Parika and return at 10:00 hours and leaves Leguan at 14:00 hours and return at 16:00 hours. However that schedule, residents say, has changed and in some cases it is only upon making inquiries that they are told if there will be a ferry leaving or coming.
In the wake of all this, the speedboat service which is somewhat more reliable is being jeopardized with the stairway no longer available for them to use. While the stairway is out of operation the speedboat operators are forced to pay a mooring fee each day of $640 to the Transport and Harbours Department.
Currently speedboat operators are forced to moor at the ramp which was built initially for the ferry. However when the ferry is moored at the ramp the operators are forced to drive their boats under the stelling and asked passengers, both male and female, to climb onto a part of the stelling that is above their heads. But with the rough water, this new mooring strategy becomes a bit challenging and dangerous. Operators have also claimed that some of them have incurred damages to their vessels while trying to moor at the ramp which is built for the ferries.