Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Marine Services Company Limited (MSCL) will next month introduce a new route to meet transport demand between Nyamilembe, Chato, Muleba and Gozba in Lake Victoria.
The new route for MV Clarias will be three days per week and will be supported by MV Butiama which will make one trip in a week.
MSCL Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eric Hamissi told the ‘Daily News’ yesterday that the new route was a result of a survey conducted by MSCL which has found that there was high demand of transport services for people and cargo in the area.
“The fifth phase government has come up with plans to revive this company through the 2015 CCM’s manifesto in which the ruling party pledged to purchase new vessels in three lakes – Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa. We are now in a good position compared to the past when President John Magufuli assumed power where the company’s bank account had only 16,500/-,” said the CEO.
At the time President Magufuli assumed office, only MV Clarias was operating in Lake Victoria, with the rest 13 vessels and one tourism boat available in the country (including in Lake Tanganyika and Nyasa) being grounded.
After major rehabilitations of some vessels, including New MV Victoria Hapa KaziTu, MV Clarias is now under maintenance, as preparations for the new routes.
MSCL Acting Sales and Marketing Manager Philemon Bagambilana said all the grounded vessels would be rehabilitated in phases.
“There will be also the building of new vessels not only in the African Great Lakes, but also in the deep sea,” he said.
In this fiscal year, activities that will be conducted in Lake Victoria include major rehabilitations of MV Umoja wagon ferry, whose capacity is 1,200 tonnes, one Motor Tug, (MT) Ukerewe rescue boat, one Motor Tanker (MT) Nyangumi as well as the construction of a new wagon ferry, with the capacity of loading 3,000 tonnes.
“In Lake Tanganyika, activities include the building of a new passenger and cargo ship with the capacity to carry 600 people and 400 tonnes. There will also be the construction of a bigger cargo ship with the capacity of loading 4,000 tonnes, as well as major rehabilitations for the oldest ship, MV Liemba, and MT Sangara,” said Mr Bagambilana.
According to him, there is no current plan for Lake Nyasa because Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) has already put in place three ships, with talks between TPA and MSCL being in progress so that the company may own all ships.
For the Indian Ocean, the MSCL Company is set to build a cargo ship, with the capacity to load 3,500 tonnes for Zanzibar, Pemba, Mtwara and Mombasa, as well as Comoro and Madagascar routes, according to him.
