APA-Banjul (The Gambia) Travellers depending on sea transport in The Gambia have been hard done by in recent weeks as ferries are grounded due to faulty engines, APA can report from Banjul on Monday.
The Gambia Ferry Services over the weekend announced that its Kanilai ferry was being withdrawn for repair works after being marooned off course for hours while plying from the seaside town of Barra to the capital Banjul last week.
A combination of the country’s security forces led by the navy orchestrated what turned out to be a successful operation to rescue people on the ferry after it drifted out to deeper waters far away from its scheduled route.
While apologising for the distress the incident might have caused hopeless passengers, the ferry services said there will be no ferry plying the Banjul-Barra route until further notice as two ferries including one called Kunta Kinteh undergo repair works which could last for several weeks.
One of the ferries requires a new engine.
The ferry services is advising travellers to use the overland Senegambia bridge connecting the north and south of the country asan alternative during this period.
in recent months Gambians and other users of the ferries have complained about the supposed challenges including safety issues while using ferry services which are generally regarded as unreliable.
Thousands use ferries plying the Banjul-Barra route on a daily basis for work and business and other activities at both end.
Kunta Kinteh was the last commissioned ferry from Dutch boat builders and was launched shortly after Adama Barrow became president in 2017.
WN/as/APA