Commuters stranded for hours as ferries break down

Likoni ferry channel was on Friday hit by a crisis after three of its four vessels broke down.

Their withdrawal caused massive congestion and delays at the busy crossing as desperate commuters disregarded safety procedures to scramble for the lone ferry.

Kenya Ferry Service management released mv Likoni and mv Harambee whose prows were faulty to calm the unruly commuters who had broken the control gates.

As they poured on to the mainland ramp, one commuter was seriously injured in the scramble to board mv Kilindini. He was taken to a nearby clinic for first aid.

HURT HIS FINGERS

Kenya Rescue diver Musa Sila said the passenger identified only as Evans, hurt the fingers on his left hand.

The commotion during the morning rush hour caused massive traffic snarl-ups on both sides of the crossing stretching for over a kilometre.

Security guards had a hard time controlling the impatient commuters.

After two hours of only taking passengers and emergency vehicles, human traffic congestion was eased from the mainland side but the breakdown of mv Nyayo complicated matters for vehicles.

An administration police officer who witnessed the melee warned of a looming disaster if the ferry management did not improve its services.

“We arrived in the nick of time to save school children trapped within the rowdy crowd that had blocked the ramp without a care for women or children,” the officer said.

Tourists travelling to the airport missed their flights.

Mr Sulieman Mwachama, a Waa High School driver, said he had been stranded on the queue for over two hours. He was cross to the island to collect a body for burial.

“Nothing is moving here and nobody is telling us what is wrong,” he added.

Coast Cotu official Gideon Mutiso called on the government to take stern action against the management saying they should not wait until all the ferries broke down before repairing them.

“You cannot tell me the management is not aware that mv Likoni has had a faulty prow for over a month but nothing has been done,” he said.

He added that the delay was causing the country massive economic losses. “Heads should roll if services are to improve.”

Speaking at the scene, Likoni police chief Willy Simba urged commuters to follow the laid down procedures while embarking or boarding the ferries warning that unruly behaviour could cause a tragedy.

“This unruly behaviour is very dangerous,” he said and appealed to ferry services to do something about the ailing ferries.

The problem, according to a commuter who declined to be named, started on Thursday when two commuters were injured during the evening rush hour.

“Yesterday (Thursday) two people were also injured during the evening commotion to board ferries from the island to the mainland Likoni,” he said and added that the human and vehicle traffic passages required urgent overhaul.

By 10 am four ferries were running.