Smooth sailing no more

When I first started to use the water taxi, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of customer service and the punctuality of the sailings, particularly when compared to other forms of transportation.

However, this has not been the recent state of affairs.

In June last year, passengers were advised a few days in advance of a reduction in the number of sailings, including the removal of the peak 6 am sailing, to facilitate maintenance of the fleet of vessels. This led to increased demand for the remaining sailings, which are often sold out soon after tickets become available.

To date, the schedule remains unchanged and no explanation has been given as to why maintenance activities have lasted for seven months or when (or if) the original schedule will be restored.

To make the situation worse, the boats that are in use have slowed considerably, making a 45-minute sailing last an hour or more. While this may seem like a negligible difference, it affects passengers who take the water taxi in an effort to reach to work on time. It is unfortunate that passengers have been treated with such disdain since most of them are regular travellers. I urge the relevant authorities to resolve these issues or, at the very least, update their passengers on the current situation.

LISA WILLIAMS Fyzabad ?”