Dysfunctional ferry over river Oti leaves commuters, cargo stranded

By Kingsley Mamore

Dambai (O/R) March 28, GNA – The Volta Transport Company Limited, operators of the ferry over the river Oti crossing at Dambai in the Krachi East Municipal Assembly, has become dysfunctional leaving drivers and passengers to their fate.

This has caused long queues of cargo trucks carrying mostly foodstuffs like yam, maize, beans and dried cassava chips, to be stacked at the riverbank for the past four days without a resolution to the problem.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) ascertained upon its visit to the riverbank on Monday, that long queues of cargo trucks enroute to various destinations were unable to cross due to the breakdown of the ferry at Dambai.

Some drivers and cargo owners berated the government for failing to honour its campaign promise to build a permanent bridge over the River Oti at Dambai, and appealed to the duty bearers to redeem their pledge.

They said a solid bridge over the river was the way to easily connect Dambai to Bimbilla, Yendi, Chereponi and other neighbouring West African countries, and ensure the ferrying of their cargoes, which contained perishable goods that could easily go waste and erode their trade capital.

The GNA’s checks at Dordoe-Kope, which is on the other side of the river, sighted more than 200 cargo trucks loaded with yam enroute to Accra, but had remained stationary and stranded awaiting the fixing of the ferry.

Mr Bernard Breko, a Vision Express driver from Accra to Salaga in the capital of the East Gonja District of the Savannah Region, told the GNA that he had spent two days at the riverbank, and called for a permanent solution to the situation.

Mr Alhassan Kofi, another cargo driver from Banda in the Krachi Nchumuru District of the Oti Region said he also spent three days at the riverbank, and currently contemplating on offloading some of his goods there to begin brisk business.

An attempt by the GNA to speak to the authorities of the VTCL, the vessel operators, had not yielded any positive results, but some technical people were seen working around the clock to repair the fault.

GNA

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