As the agreement between the Barbuda Express and the government has ended it has been revealed that the government incurred about $50,000 weekly to shuttle Barbudans to and from Barbuda.
That price tag, however, does not apply to ferry services alone but also includes trips via the barge.
Prime Minister Gaston Browne said at least two trips were made daily as the Barbudans returned home in an effort to clean their properties to accommodate the rebuilding process.
“Since the hurricane, we have been paying for the ferry. The ferry has made at least maybe two trips a day. I believe we are spending probably about no less than maybe $20- $30 thousand, well if you include the barge, we may be incurring up to maybe $50,000 a week in transportation,” Browne said.
Government made the arrangement with the Barbuda Express on September 6, days after Hurricane Irma ravaged the island and it’s over 1,800 inhabitants had to be evacuated to Antigua.
Because of some technical issues the ferry was not operational last week but resumed operations this week (Thursday).
Barbudans now have to fund their own trip home, paying $100 one way and $195 return trip.
The return trip cost has been lowered from $220.
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How is this possible?
Having another ferry is a good idea. When one is out of service there is still another option. An improvement in customer service would also be appreciated.
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