Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, May 12: The Shipping Service has recently postponed the sailing of MV Campbell Bay for Chennai via Nancowry & Campbell Bay on 15.05.2015. As per report now, the vessel is scheduled to sail for Chennai via Nancowry & Campbell Bay on 18.05.2015 at 1200 Hrs from Haddo Wharf and will sail back to Port Blair on 24.05.2015 instead of 21.05.2015 from Chennai via Campbell Bay & Nancowry.
It has been learnt that this last moment change in schedule has been planned to arrange a quick trip of MV Campbell Bay to Southern Group of Islands. According to today’s shipping Schedule the ship MV Campbell bay, before sailing for Chennai, will now sail for Campbell Bay via Nancowry on 15th May and then will return to Port Blair directly without touching the Nancowry Islands.
This last moment adjustment to save time and to make the ship ready for Chennai Sailing has upset residents of Nancowry who wish travel to Port Blair after 16th May as now they have to travel all the way to Campbell Bay to reach Port Blair.
“This new sailing simply means that now we have to suffer nearly 12 more hours in the ship in this bad weather and we will have to pay nearly Rs. 400 extra for Cabin and Nearly Rs. 200 extra for bunk,” said a resident of Kamorta.
The Shipping Department is also helpless because due to shortage of ships for Mainland now the Department is forced to send inter-island ship like Campbell Bay in Mainland Sector, disturbing the inter-island sailing schedule. The inter-island sector is already facing severe shortage of ships.
“General public have never seen a time when all ships of Administration are in sea worthy condition. Because of lack of seriousness and professionalism we islanders always face shortage of ships in both Inter-Island as well as in Mainland sectors. Ultimately, people living in remote Islands suffer the most,” said another resident of Kamorta.
