Owner of makeshift ferry asks govt for better service
Operators push the makeshift ferry at the Mabamba Landing Site in Wakiso District on Saturday. PHOTOS / STEPHEN OTAGE
What you need to know:
- Mr Kalungi transports cars from Mabamba to Bussi island, which is less than five kilometres away.
- The ferry also provides transport services to other islands via Lake Victoria.
The proprietor of a makeshift ferry plying the Mabamba landing site--Bussi Island route in Wakiso District has asked the government to take over the service because the structure is outdated.
In an interview with the Monitor on Saturday, Mr Vincent Kalungi said they have appealed to the government for the past 20 years to buy a motorised ferry but in vain.
“Previously, we used to join two boats together and load a vehicle on them until we designed this structure. We have asked government to get us a motorised ferry but we have not got any response,” he said.
Mr Kalungi transports cars from Mabamba to Bussi island, which is less than five kilometres away.
The ferry also provides transport services to other islands via Lake Victoria.
Tour
Mr Kalungi’s pleas come after members of the Rotary Club of Lubowa, journalists and tourists were asked to pay Shs150,000 for each vehicle to be loaded onto the makeshift ferry to access the island.
He said the island has numerous bird species, including the Shoebill, and is a Ramsar Conservation site.
The ferry transports the vehicles.
It attracts between 10 and 20 vehicles daily which the wooden makeshift ferry transports each at a fee ranging between Shs140,000 and Shs200,000, depending on the car size.
Rotary club members each paid Shs5,000 for a boat ride to access Bussi.
The club also hired the makeshift ferry at Shs300,000 to transport two omni-buses to and from the island.
The delegation was scheduled to monitor and evaluate the impact of empowering the families of children with disabilities on Bussi Island Uganda project at Mukisa Inclusive Village offices.
According to Ms Florence Namaganda, the founder of Mukisa Inclusive Village, they started the foundation two years ago to support families with children with disabilities.
She said many families believed that disabilities were caused by myths.
“We have one medical centre and sometimes services are not there. For transport services, we use boats and yet for referral to either Entebbe Grade B or Mulago hospital, the distance to the mainland is long and when children get sick without treatment, they get deformities,” she said.
Ms Peace Talemwa, the Rotary Club District 9214 Governor, said they were happy that the children were benefiting from the cows they gave to them.
