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Govt. demands explanation for Berbice Bridge fee

Apr 17, 2012 News

 

 

 

The Berbice Bridge Company Inc. is yet to explain to Government why it arbitrarily redirected marine traffic from under the bridge high span to the retractor span for a fee.
Government has refused to accept Berbice Bridge Company Inc. position and wants an explanation this week.
“We are concerned that some operators who previously did not have to pass through the retractor span are said to have been forced to cross through the retractor span now, and to pay,” said Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robeson Benn, yesterday.
“We had a meeting last week with the management and they have given a different explanation with respect to the vessels that are transiting the bridge… They are responding to us this week on some concerns expressed by us and some concerns expressed by some operators,” Benn said.
“We are not accepting that position from them. We are awaiting the follow-up meeting this week. I can’t tell you now what you can expect from it; the review of the parties together and evaluation of it would determine our final position.”
Several weeks ago, boat operators complained that the bridge’s management imposed an order that laden vessels, which cross under the high span free of cost, must desist from doing so. Instead, they must now cross whenever there is a retraction.
And there is a fee attached.
Vessels with foreign registration are charged $55,000 for in-bound pass and another $55,000 for out-bound. Locally registered vessels pay a fee of $28,000 for a one-way pass.
This decision was presided over by Geeta Singh-Knight, the woman who also oversaw the collapse of Colonial Life Insurance (Clico) Guyana.
In the wake of the CLICO collapse, she was appointed to the GuySuCo Board of Directors. She was already head of the Berbice Bridge Company.
The company in a statement justified its position as a means of protecting the structure since its safety cannot be compromised in anyway. It further said that every effort must be made to prevent loss of lives and injuries to those who use the bridge and damage to property.
According to Benn, the Maritime Administration Department is currently engaging the bridge executive on safety and related issues.
“The explanation we have is that there are very few operators that relate to boats that don’t have their requisite safety devices arrangements in place and that in respect to payment it only has to do when they are loaded.”

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