<<Print>>

Mr Benjamin Adjei-Keelson, Project Manager, Senchi Ferry, on Tuesday said management would not be able to tell when the water level of the Volta Lake will rise to enable the pontoons to be operated efficiently. The lake on which the pontoons operate at Senchi is regulated by the operations of the Volta River Authority at Akuse and Akosombo. Speaking during an inspection by Mrs Dzifa Attivor, Minister of Transport to familiarize herself with the challenges faced by passengers of the pontoons, Mr Adjei-Keelson said for the past two months, the ferries had not been working efficiently because of the low water level of the lake. �We have been told by VRA that they were conducting some maintenance works at their stations at both Akosombo and Akuse, which had caused them to reduce water supply for our operations. They have also not given us any indication as to when they can supply us with enough water to operate with�, he said. He said the ferries had been experiencing many challenges, including premature breakdown as well as the destruction of parts due to the low level of the water. �The low level of the water has also caused us to reduce by half, the number of vehicles that the pontoons can carry at a go�, he said. Mrs Dzifa Attivor expressed concern about the nature of the wharfs (landing sites) and called for the construction of the appropriate type to avoid more destruction to the pontoons and its parts. She noted that the inappropriate nature of the landing sites had contributed to the inability of the pontoons to also dock properly. She pledged to consult with the Ministry of Roads and Highways on the reconstruction of the wharf and called for the construction of another wharf to enable the pontoons to work more effectively.