URN.Joseph Mulindwa, the Spokes person of Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited, says MV Pearl will however suspend its operations on Thursday, August 4 .
MV Pearl, one of the ferries that operate between Lukku- Bugoma in Kalangala and Bukakata in Masaka will stop working next week to overhaul its two engines and undergo other maintenance works.
This exercise is done routinely to ensure the vessel is safe to carry passengers and cargo.
MV Pearl and MV Ssese are run by Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited-KIS on behalf of the government to make several trips daily to and from Kalangala district. The trips are for free and take thirty minutes between the two docking sites.
Joseph Mulindwa, the Spokes person of Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited, says MV Pearl will however suspend its operations on Thursday, August 4 .
He says MV Ssese will effectively transport islanders from and to Kalangala effectively in the absence of MV Pearl. He however says the first trip from Kalangala will be at 7:30am and not 7am since MV Ssese’s first trip according to the new schedule will start at 7am at Bukakata docking pier.
MV Pearl’s Captain Augustine Kasirye and engineer Musa Kimuli say the vessel will be out of service for 8 weeks since some components like the engines will be overhauled.
Kimuli says the marine vessel will be taken to a floating dock at Port Bell in Luzira where the ferry is supposed to have an engine overhaul. The engines are overhauled after every 20,000 running hours, which covers about three years. The vessel’s two diesel engines were overhauled in 2019.
Apart from the major engine overhaul, engineers will inspect and work on other systems and parts of the vessel such as oil pumps, coolant pipes, fuel system, exhaust manifold, cooling water lines and cylinder liners.
Kalangala residents including Julius Mukasa and Allan Muyombya say the absence of MV Pearl will result in longer queues at either docking sites.
