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Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Nation Oil Distributors Limited has called off the scheduled maintenance and survey of MV Kalangala citing the delayed arrival of engineers from Lloyds.
MV Kalangala was scheduled to ceases operations today to allow for maintenance and survey for insurance purposes.
The vessel has been operating without the mandatory quarterly servicing of key features and insurance for the past three years.
Some of the key features that require regular maintenance include among others lavatory services, chairs and benches used by the passengers, engine and propellers to avoid breakdowns.
The vessel is also expected to undergo a major overhaul annually, which is due. During the Christmas season, the vessel increased its trips and the number of travelers.
This according to Nation Oil Distributors, which operates the vessel, weakened it, which requires servicing.
Sadala Musoke, the Managing Director Nation Oil Distributors had earlier told Uganda Radio Network that MV Kalangala would undergo survey and maintenance between March 28th and 2nd April, 2019.
However, the Captain Richard Byarugaba says they have suspended the scheduled maintenance of the vessel due to the delayed arrival of engineers from Lloyds Company.
“People shouldn’t fear. We shall operate as we wait for the Engineers to arrive.” Byarugaba said. Lloyds is the only company mandated to insure service and maintain MV Kalangala,” he said.
The vessel whose maximum speed is 20nots currently only operates at12. It takes the vessel up to three and a half hours to ply a journey that it used to do in just 2 hours. Some passengers have often complained of delayed arrival of the vessel to its final destination in Lutoboka and Entebbe.
The suspension of the maintenance operations comes at a time MV Pearl, which operates between Kalangala and Masaka is undergoing overhaul at Port Florence in Kisumu, Kenya.
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