Why the Likoni ferry service will be disrupted for six months
Motorists at the Likoni Ferry Crossing in Mombasa.
Traffic at the Mombasa ferry channel is expected to be disrupted for six months as the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) moves in to repair the island and mainland ramps at Likoni.
According to KPA Acting Manager for Corporate Communications Jones Bushere, KPA will also take care of the maintenance of the vessels during this period as it considers having separate ferries for vehicles and passengers.
"Kenya Ports Authority is committed to operating safe, reliable and affordable ferry services. To achieve this, KPA has launched several maintenance initiatives on the entire fleet of seven ferries and the infrastructural facilities," said Mr Bushere.
Damaged ramps
The work, which commenced on April 21, is aimed at repairing the 70 metres of damaged ramps and will be carried out in two phases.
However, given the expected ramp restrictions on the busy channel, the ongoing repair work will only allow two ferries to dock for both pedestrian and vehicular loading and unloading.
Barriers will be erected to manage traffic and ensure the safety of pedestrians boarding and disembarking the ferries.
There will also be closer coordination between law enforcement agencies to re-route and manage the flow of traffic.
Clients to cooperate
"We are kindly requesting our clients to cooperate with these arrangements," added Mr Bushere.
KPA has also instructed the contractor to work at night and during off-peak hours to help manage the situation.
Daily, the ferries carry more than 450,000 pedestrians and over 6,000 vehicles on the channel, which can sometimes lead to heavy congestion, especially during peak hours in the morning and evening.
In 2020, following a presidential directive, Kenya Ferry Services was dissolved and its functions transferred to the Kenya Ports Authority to streamline operations at the Likoni ferry channel.
And now, according to the KPA, the improvement of the infrastructure is expected to promote 24-hour service, linking the mainland to the island and promoting socio-economic growth in the tourism, hospitality and agriculture sectors.
