Africa-Press – Uganda. Eleven passengers took the maiden trip to Masaka via Lake Victoria using the MV NODL Victoria vessel.
The government unveiled the MV NODL last year, which is also managed by National Oil Distributors Ltd (NODL), to operate alongside MV Kalangala which was procured in 2005.
The trip via Lake Victoria provides an alternative route to Masaka following the closure of the Kampala-Masaka Highway after floods washed away a section of the Katonga Bridge, forcing travellers to divert at Mpigi via Sembabule to Masaka District.
Other seven travellers missed the trip having arrived late.
The MV NODL Victoria vessel left Nakiwogo in Entebbe for Bukakata in Masaka at exactly 1pm.
According to MV NODL general Manager, Ms Idah Musoke, MV NODL has a capacity of 150 passengers.
“We have a capacity of 150 passengers, but because many passengers are not aware, we managed to move with only 11. But we are going to intensify the media engagement and we hope by the end of the week, the number will have multiplied,” she said yesterday.
Commenting on the other seven passengers who arrived late for the Nakiwogo -Bukakata journey, Ms Musoke said they used other available service providers who took them via Lutoboka but at a slightly higher fee.
“The passengers who arrived late managed to use another private service provider, MV Natalie, which took them via a longer route at a cost of Shs35,000 to Kalangala. From there, they connected to Bukakata via Lutoboka”
MV NODL Victoria has two decks, with those travelling in the executive wing paying Shs20,000 and those in the lower deck parting with Shs15,000.
About today’s trip, Ms Musoke said MV NODL will leave Bukakata for Nakiwogo at 8am and they expect to reach at 11:30am and then depart for Bukakata at 1pm.
Ms Musoke, however, said: “There will be a slight change in the Friday programme to bring on board passengers who had earlier booked for the Kalangala trip. It is from Kalangala that we will connect to Bukakata but still the departure time from Nakiwogo in Entebbe at 1pm will not change.”
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