Chronic transport hurdles faced by residents of Bugala Island in Kalangala District are expected to reduce after the delivery of a second ferry that will connect the islanders to the mainland. Kalangala Infrastructure Services Ltd (KIS), the company charged with developing infrastructure and transport services on Bugala Island under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the government, announced in a press statement that the new ferry was delivered last week. The second ferry on the islands will provide marine transport services between Bukakata in Masaka and Luuku Landing Site on Bugala Island. The MS MV Ssese ferry arrived at Port Bell on Christmas eve for seaworthiness inspection by the Ministry of Works and Transport after sailing from Mwanza Port in Tanzania where it was built. “Delivery of the second ferry is tangible evidence of our ability to deliver on our promises and that the project is reaching the maturity stage thereby increasingly benefitting the islands inhabitants,” Mr John Opiro, the KIS managing director, said at Port Bell upon the arrival of the new ferry. “The power plant is already serving parts of Kalangala Town, the road is being worked upon and the water project is already serving a large portion of the islands’ residents. We are confident that once all the four project components have been completed, Bugala Island will be a different place with infrastructure and services comparable to those on the mainland,” he added. The KIS statement quoted the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Works and Transport, Mr Okello Bwangamoi, as saying: “The timing of the second ferry is perfect given that the people of Bugala have been suffering from a shortage of safe marine transportation services for quite some time,” Mr Bwangamoi said. He added: “The MV Kalangala was taken for repairs and has not yet returned while MV Amani has not been operating due to technical issues. We welcome the arrival of this ferry which shall give the islands’ economy a much needed shot in the arm.” During the Christmas period, demand for ferry services to and from Bugala grew to 12 trips per day, compared to the regular four between Monday and Saturday. MV Ssese is the second delivery after the first ferry MV Pearl which was delivered earlier. This development means that the inhabitants of Bugala Island will now frequently link up regularly with the mainland for business and other engagements. However, Mr Opiro noted that the two ferries are still not enough to transport all the people and vehicles destined for the mainland any given day. “Sometimes people have to be left behind till the next day, although the arrival of the second ferry will ease this problem because we will be able to double the number of crossings,” Mr Opiro said. Just like the MV Pearl delivered earlier, the new ferry will not charge transport fees. According to the Uganda National Roads Authority policy, the ferry is considered an extension of the road, thus no one is required to pay for the crossing which is essentially a bridge to the island. The new ferry The MV Ssese has capacity to transport 180 passengers seated and standing as well as about 20 vehicles depending on their weight. Like MV Pearl, the Ssese ferry can cross between Bukakata and Luuku in 25 minutes. Kalangala Infrastructure Project (KIP) is a $50m (about Shs130 billion) venture being implemented by KIS and the government. Project financing was secured through a combination of equity and loan.
Posted on: Thu, 01 Jan 2015 04:38:19 +0000
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