Number of Likoni ferry users surge as holiday makers throng Mombasa

The number of passengers using the Likoni channel has risen sharply as holiday makers throng the coastal city of Mombasa in the onset of high season.

Kenya Ferry Services managing director Musa Hassan Musa attributed the long queues being witnessed at the passenger waiting bay to an increase in the number of people using ferries in August.

“April, August, and December are high season for us as many people travel to Mombasa for holidays as schools are closed over the month of August. We expect more users in the coming weeks,” said Mr Musa.

However, Kenya Ferry management has put stringent measures to handle the surge in commuters including reviewing service timetable for the ferries to off-peak hours.

“We would, therefore, like to advise ferry users to plan well to avoid inconvenience. With the increase in passenger numbers withdrawing even one ferry for routine maintenance can cause huge pile up like the one witnessed on Friday” said Mr Musa.

“We have hence moved routine maintenance procedures to off-peak and even over-night to minimise on the inconvenience it might cause to ferry users,” he added.

At peak time, Kenya Ferry serves more than 12,000 passengers per hour.

Mr Musa said the daily ferry passenger number is likely to reach 500,000 by 2018 if the current trend continues adding the company had recorded an unprecedented increase in demand along the Likoni channel since ferry services at Mtongwe channel were halted.

“This has put a lot of pressure on Likoni channel since those who were formally using Mtongwe channel have moved to Likoni. We are, however, in talks with Mombasa County government on re-opening the Mtongwe channel,” he said.

Kenya Ferry currently deals directly with more than 300,000 passengers and over 6,000 vehicles crossing the Likoni channel between the island and the South Coast mainland daily using five vessels which include MV Nyayo, MV Kilindini, MV Harambee, MV Kwale and MV Likoni.