Mombasa passengers at pains following closure of Liwatoni Footbridge
By Harrison.Kivisu, July 17, 2023Crisis has hit the Likoni Ferry crossing channel which is currently congested by pedestrians following the closure of the Liwatoni Footbridge two weeks ago.
The 1.2km Liwatoni pedestrian bridge which was launched in early 2021 to ease congestion at the Ferry during Covid-19 crisis was closed indefinitely last week on Friday night as Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) launched the night pilotage of oil tankers.
The move has resulted in renewed congestion at the channel as thousands of bridge users flocked back to using ferries to cross between Mombasa Island and Likoni mainland.
The situation has further been compounded by overloads by Mtongwe Ferry users who initially relied on the bridge following the collapse of Mtongwe Ferry services.
Ferry users now decry that the increased number of ferry users after the closure of the bridge has caused huge human congestion during peak hours, putting at risk the lives of persons with disability.
The congestion has affected movement at the ferry which has been marred with prolonged delays of between 20 and 30 minutes waiting time.
The users expressed fears of an impending stampede as experienced on several occasions previously and called for urgent interventions by the government through the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
KPA Managing Director William Ruto said the 24/7 operation at the new Sh40 billion Kipevu Oil Terminal will reduce turnaround for ships at Mombasa Port. Currently, only four ferries are in operation.
Those who used the bridge and the Mtongwe ferry whose services were suspended have now been subjected to long routes and economic burden amid hiked transport fares. At Least 300.000 people and 6,000 motorists use the ferry.