Distressed Commuters In Basse/Wuli Crossing Complain as Flood Deprives Ferry From Operation.

The Wuli Basse Crossing has become a thorn in the flesh for commuters in the rural capital of the Upper River Region. Readers would recall that this paper published a report on the bad roads condition in the URR and the breakdown of the ferry at the Wuli Basse crossing for over two months.

Reports however revealed that the ferry was repaired and is now in good order. In a telephone conversation with a distraught commuter at Basse, confirmed the repair of the ferry but insisted that the said ferry cannot weather the waves of the swelling river which threatened to sweep it away. The source said the ferry is old, dilapidated and powerless and therefore cannot function when the river is flooding.

According to information, Basse is vulnerable to flooding on an annual basis which flood fill its banks and enter the town up to the major market and this affects both Basse town and the nearby village beyond the river in the Wuli West District.

It is indicated that the lack of operation of the ferry has created a lot of problems for commuters in both Basse wanting to cross to Wuli and verse versa. The ambulances from Baja Kunda and Foday Kunda health centers in Wuli East, Yerobawol in Wuli West and Diabugu in Sandu cannot cross with their patients to Basse health center nor can ambulances in Basse cross to the Wuli side.

A source close to the MRC health center in Basse also laments the problems confronting them in their work in the North Bank of the river. When asked why he thinks the ferry is not able to operate despite the flood, he said the ferry is an old hand; that if it is a good and powerful one, nothing would stop it from operating. He also said ferries have been operating during the flooding in the past years. He asked why not this year?

So all what this boils down to is for the government to either empower the region with a new and more powerful ferry and change the old one or leave the old one to be a substitute to the new one. Otherwise they say, Basse/ Wuli crossing will continue to be afflicted with one ferry crisis after another which can eventually undermine the supposed economic and commercial progress the region is known for.

The floods are not likely to subside until the end of October and until then the distressed commuters will have to wait before the ferry can commence its normal operations.

From Gainako news.

https://www.gainako.com/news/news/2009/10/14/distressed-commuters-in-bassewuli-crossing-complain-as-flood-deprives-ferry-from-operation.html