There is a case of discrimination aboard Lady Northcote

Nov 21, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,

The North West District (NWD) steamer Lady Northcote leaves Port Georgetown for Kumaka, Mabaruma on a fortnightly basis, taking passengers, hucksters and cargo that belong to businessmen.
But the NWD passengers are complaining bitterly that accommodation on the steamer is totally uncomfortable and that they are called “you bucks” by the huskers who take over the seating accommodation forcing the NWD passengers who are residents to stand and sit down on the floor of the steamer during the entire journey to Morawhanna and Mabaruma.
This journey lasts for an entire night and about four hours the next day. But why do the NWD passengers have no seating accommodation on the steamer? This is because a transport officer at the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) Wharf on the day of the steamer’s departure for Mabaruma allows coastland hucksters to board the steamer many hours before the North West passengers board, causing them not to take the little things they purchase in Georgetown for their families because of no space which has been already taken up by the hucksters.
This goes for the seating accommodation as well. The captain or pilot of the steamer does not care if his passengers are comfortable departure for Mabaruma. This smells of corruption. When the steamer is returning to Port Georgetown from Mabaruma, passengers are also denied seating accommodation because when the steamer reaches Mabaruma from Georgetown, the hucksters do not come off the steamer but stay on board until the steamer is ready for departure to Georgetown. Again this smells of corruption.
Mabaruma residents have alleged that when the steamer is moored at the Kumaka Waterfront its crew members engage in the selling of the steamer’s fuel (diesel) to businessmen. Is this illegal act not corruption? Is this reason why the steamer does not return to Georgetown on scheduled time?
I am calling on the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Mr. David Patterson to conduct urgent investigations into alleged corruption on board the North West District (NWD) steamer Lady Northcote.
Peter Persaud

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