Tour operators back charging of ferries fee

• People will pay for services if cash is used well, says group

Tour Operators have supported a proposal to have commuters pay for ferry charges.

Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere suggested over the weekend that people who board the ferries pay a shilling each so that Kenya Ferry Services can purchase new vessels.

The newly elected Kenya Association of Tour Operators (Kato) Coast branch chairperson, Ms Monika Solanki, said that the proposal could work if commuters get better services at the Likoni channel.

Be willing

Ms Solanki said ferry users would be willing to pay the fee if it were put to good use.

“Paying for ferry services is not an issue. Our major concern is whether the funds collected will be managed well,” the official said.

She, however, wondered why the public was being called upon to raise funds for new ferries, yet the government set aside cash for such uses.

Mr Mwakwere said if ferry passengers pay Sh1 per trip, then Kenya Ferry Services could raise Sh6 million a month.

There have been frequent complaints about ferry services at the Likoni channel due to frequent breakdowns.

Ms Solanki was elected unopposed as the chairperson of Kato in Coast region

She takes over from Ms Tasneem Adamji, while Mr David Ngunjiri was elected as the region’s vice-chairman.

Ms Solanki said some of the issues they would like the government to address urgently include the implementation of the Dongo Kundu by-pass to ease ferry woes.