New ferry schedule out as agency moves to combat Covid-19 spread

Ferry services have once again been revised as the management realigns itself with the Covid-19 containment protocols set by the Ministry of Health.

In a notice, Kenya Ferry Services (KFS) says it has consolidated the general crossing timing and expanded existing ferry operations.

This, the company said, is to cater for both pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the busy Likoni channel.

In the new schedule, the management will deploy more ferries for pedestrians during the morning and evening peak hours.

Between 5am and 8am, for instance, three ferries will be serving commuters, with only one set aside for motorists.

Thereafter, for one and a half hours, passengers and vehicles will use two ferries each.

From 9.30am to 3.30pm, pedestrians will only use one vessel while motorists will have two ferries.

After that, up to 5pm, pedestrians and motorists will use two ferries each. But from 5pm the schedule will change and three ferries will be deployed for people crossing on foot up to 7.30pm. This is the evening peak hour.

Until congestion is cleared at around 7.30pm, pedestrians will start using one ferry while three vessels will serve motorists up to 8.45pm when the operations will be stopped because of the curfew.

Ferry services were reviewed when the coronavirus hit the country,compelling air travellers from the South Coast to notify the KFS management before crossing the Likoni channel.

“Any person connecting an international flight from Moi International Airport is hereby requested to inform the management in advance for further crossing facilitation,” read a statement sent to Shipping & Logistics at that time.

In the first review of the operations, motorists using the channel were only being ferried from 11am to 2pm.

This, the management said, was to allow smooth flow of pedestrians using the four ferries available —  Jambo, Kwale, Likoni and Kilindini.

The decision to ferry vehicles in the stipulated time was reached following a stakeholders meeting between county and national administration officials and the KFS management. This was as a result of chaos witnessed on the first day of the curfew when police brutally beat up pedestrians for flouting rules. Since then, operations have been running smoothly in the channel, with only a few incidents reported.

Motorists versus pedestrians

Motorists have, however, blamed the management for giving too much attention to pedestrians.

“We also use the channel for important things that we want to do in our day. But we just pray for normalcy to return soon,” said Michael Wachira, a motorist.

Since the emergence of Covid-19 in the country in March, ferry services have improved significantly.

Coast Regional Coordinator John Elungata said there was high insecurity in the channel, with commuters losing their valuables to pickpockets, women being sexually harassed and constant stampedes.

Mr Elungata insisted that even after Covid-19, measures that have been adopted will not be removed.

“Police will continue to man the channel to ensure that sanity is maintained,” he said.

Ms Rehema Mzee, who uses the ferry services daily, said she enjoys the smooth flow of traffic since the social distancing rule was imposed.

“I have witnessed cases of people getting stepped on during stampedes that used to happen in the morning and evening hours when people are rushing to and from work, but at the moment everything is smooth and we wish things will remain the same even after the coronavirus is long gone,” she said.

Another commute, Ms Irene Mwangi, who operates a kiosk in Likoni, said due to the congestion it was easier for business people to lose their luggage to porters.

“Most business people from the South Coast who get their goods from Kongowea market use the services of porters to carry their goods across the channel. However, some porters used to take advantage of the congestion and make away with our products,” she lamented.

Additional reporting by Mishi Gongo