Mwanza. Mv Serengeti, the only ship ferrying passengers and goods between Bukoba and Mwanza along Lake Victoria has once again stopped operations due to mechanical difficulties.
The new development comes just a week after it resumed its operations. Initially, the vessel stopped its operations from February 16 to March14 due to mechanical faults in its propeller shaft.
According to the acting General Manager of the Marine Services Company Ltd (MSCL), Captain Winton Mwassa this is the third time the ship is altering operations due to mechanical faults.
Mr Mwassa said the captain discovered the problem as the ship was sailing to Mwanza from Bukoba on March 18.
Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra) Principal Officer Michael Rodgers called for MSCL to fix the problem swiftly.
“The same engine can’t breakdown more than two times in a space of three months; you must fix the problem and make sure that Mv Serengeti operations aren’t frequently altered,” said Mr Rogers.
The 1988 made ship has the capacity of carrying 593 passengers and 350 tons of cargo. The ship is the most relied and cheapest means of transport between Bukoba and Mwanza.