SUPERFERRY has resumed operations after a brief suspension meted by the MARINA over the weekend.
Officials of the company decried the alleged undue haste and arbitrariness of the entire fleet’s suspension which caused the company substantial losses from claims of shippers whose perishable cargos were not delivered. To make matters worse, large volume shippers have threatened to pull out booked cargos as questions linger over the capability of the shipping company to deliver its time-sensitive shipments to customers during the period of suspension.
The passenger business was also adversely affected as thousands demanded ticket refunds. Schedules of group travelers were disrupted as a result of the 26-hour interruption of vessel operations arising from an alleged incident with local fishermen off Sarangani.
An unlit and unpowered banca allegedly collided with a vessel of the company. In a news report, Superintendent Edgard Cuanan, chief of the police’s maritime unit in Central Mindanao, said their patrolling personnel sent out light and sound signals to fishing boats in the area to warn them about the passing vessel.
“It appears that the fishermen were not familiar with the basic warning signals about oncoming ships.” Cuanan added, indicating that the fishermen were to blame for the accident. “Under the rules, small vessels must always give way to bigger ones.”
SuperFerry management questioned the hastily enforced suspension order on the entire fleet deemed as unjust and unfriendly to business. The vessels were eventually allowed to sail after an exhaustive safety audit by MARINA revealed “the fleet had no negative findings and was found to be fully compliant with national and international safety management systems.”
