The Maritime Administration Department has announced that it has grounded and suspended the operations of a speed boat that was plying the Parika/Bartica route over inappropriate operations.

The move came after a photograph surfaced on social media with passengers on the roof of the boat as it traversed the Essequibo river. None of the passengers were wearing life jackets and the inside of the boat also appeared to be overloaded.

The photograph set off a firestorm of criticism after it was shared on the Facebook page of News Source Editor, Gordon Moseley.   In a letter to Mr. Moseley, the Director General of Maritime Affairs thanked the journalist for bringing the problem to the attention of the Department and also informed of the actions taken.

Additionally, the Maritime Department said it wants members of the general public to report any unscrupulous activity on the waterways to the Administration on telephone numbers 225-7330 or 226-3356.

Over the years, there have been growing complaints about speedboat operators overloading their boats and charging extra money during peak periods. The Maritime Department has been pushing more monitoring of the waterways over the years, especially when passenger vessels are involved.

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