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They are especially seeking to be allowed to increase the passenger limit in order to stay afloat in the business.
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Currently, boats just like with Public Service Vehicles-PSVs, have been directed to carry only half of the normal passenger limit so as to enable for social distancing.
Boat operators in Lamu have protested against Covid-19 regulations saying they have affected their businesses.
They are now pleading with the National government to exempt them from Covid-19 regulations so as to enable them cope with the recently hiked fuel prices.
They are especially seeking to be allowed to increase the passenger limit in order to stay afloat in the business.
Currently, boats just like with Public Service Vehicles-PSVs, have been directed to carry only half of the passenger capacity to allow for physical distancing.
A speed boats which usually carry 11 passengers are now only allowed to carry six while larger boats with a capacity of 100 plus can only carry 50 or half depending on the size of the vessel.
With the hiked fuel prices, the operators complained that they are barely making any profits out of the business.
Speaking in Lamu island on Wednesday, Lamu Boat Operators chairperson Hassan Awadh pleaded with the government to either reduce fuel prices or allow them carry the normal limit so that they can recover the fuelling charges.
“How can we pay so heavily for fuel and not make any profit out of it? Let the government reconsider and grant us one of the requests so we can stay in business, “said Awadh.
They complained that the lockdown on five counties has equally put a strain on their business as the number of people coming to Lamu has greatly reduced.
They are now considering raising boat fares if all other avenues to address the issue fail to bear fruit.
“Boats are expensive to fuel and maintain yet we have to survive too and put food on our tables. We shall increase the boat fares, “he said.
Boda boda operators in Lamu island are equally pushing to be allowed to carry more than one pillion passenger so as to cope with the high cost of fuel.
Lamu has over 5,000 boat operators spread across the various islands in the archipelago and over 300 boda boda operators in Lamu island.
In its monthly review on Sunday, the regulator-Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority-EPRA announced to have adjusted the prices for fuel owing to increased landed cost of importing the products.
The prices of super petrol, diesel and kerosine increased by Sh 7.63 per litre, Sh 5.75 per litre and Sh 5.41 per litre respectively.
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara