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AFC calls for speed boat operators landing fees to be waived
Kaieteur News – Following the strike held by Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop speed boat operators on the Friday, the Alliance for Change (AFC) has called for the Government to waive some of their landing fees.
In a Press Release issued on Saturday the AFC stated, “It is no secret that speedboat operators are charged $1500 daily for docking fees and other services… We would, therefore, encourage the Government to examine the possibility of offering a workable waiver of the landing fees to ease the burden on the operators”.
AFC also suggested that authorities can offer each registered operator “a $1000 per day fuel credit redeemable at GUYOIL”
Speed boat operators decided to strike after a month long battle between them and the government for a $20 fare increase bore no fruits.
One of the operators, Hussain, told Kaieteur News that he and his colleagues had approached the Minister of Public Works to have water taxi fares increased from $100 to $120 but were denied.
He claimed that they had consulted with the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) too but were “shunned”.
Despite the Government’s refusal to grant them an increase the boat operators went ahead on their own and began charging passengers $120 because, according to them, $100 was not enough to maintain their vessels and feed their families.
A Sheriff Security boat shuttling passengers across the Demerara River on Friday
However the MARAD penalized one of them and they begged the authorities but were threatened that if they persisted, they will face penalties and suspension.
This resulted in the speedboat operators striking on Friday. Passengers were left stranded for hours but then the Government stepped in to counter the strike by using boats from Sherriff Security, the Joint Services and boats from Parika to shuttle passengers across.
Army buses were also used to drop passengers across the Demerara Harbour Bridge free of cost.
Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, had met with the operators but it appears progress was not made with regards to the boat operators request for $20 more.
In a subsequent statement released, MARAD stated that “it wishes to reinforce that the fare from Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop remains $100”.
Some boat operators have already buckled to pressure and returned to work for the same $100 on Saturday but others are continuing to hold out.
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