Scores of Guyanese travellers have been left stranded on both sides of the Guyana-Suriname border after the M.V. Canawaima was temporarily withdrawn from service, with passengers complaining of a lack of information and increasing accommodation and travel costs.
Canawaima Ferry Service Inc. announced that the vessel would suspend operations effective last Friday due to “scheduled works,” but did not provide a timeline for when the service would resume. “Once the regular ferry service resumes, further information will be communicated through the official channels,” the Embassy of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Suriname said in a statement on Saturday.
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill could not be reached for comment by Kiskadee Watch yesterday, but he posted a statement by Terminal Manager Deyne Harry that said that the Guyana/Suriname ferry service has been temporarily suspended due to “technical problems.” This has left passengers and other travellers dependent on the cross-border service facing uncertainty over when operations will resume.
Management said it is working to resolve the problems “at the soonest possible time” but did not indicate how long the suspension is expected to last. The notice said the public will be informed once the issues have been addressed and service can resume. “Please be advised that the public will be adequately notified about the resumption of service as soon as these issues are addressed,” management said.
Last night, the Public Works Ministry shared an updated statement. It said that the Canawaima Ferry Service has informed that two technical inspections were conducted in recent days by maritime experts from Guyana and Suriname. Both teams concluded that the vessel could safely remain in operation until it enters drydock within the next three months.
According to the ferry service, those findings were provided in writing. However, the Maritime Authority in Suriname (MAS) has insisted that certain maintenance matters that were expected to be addressed during the vessel’s scheduled drydocking be completed immediately.
The ferry service noted that responsibility for the maintenance and drydocking of the M.V. Canawaima rests with Suriname. Despite the suspension, the Boards on both the Guyana and Suriname sides remain in close communication and are working jointly to have the ferry service restored as soon as possible.
The suspension has left passengers at Nickerie in Suriname and Moleson Creek in Guyana uncertain about when they will be able to continue their journeys. Several passengers are stuck in their cars, undecided what to do, as they do not want to exit the line at the ferry to seek accommodation elsewhere and then lose their space if the boat starts working.
The problem, according to them, is that no one is saying anything or providing any updates; nothing is being communicated to the stranded passengers. “The immigration staff just packed up and left,” one passenger stranded in Suriname told Kiskadee Watch on Saturday afternoon.
She asked to remain anonymous out of fear of victimization, noting that she was informed at the Suriname ferry port that they would be able to travel with their tickets, but were later told the vessel had been pulled from service on Wednesday. She and her family returned to the port early Friday morning, arriving at about 5 a.m., and waited for hours along with other travellers.
“We were told we would go on the second boat even though we went there from 5 a.m.,” she shared. However, after waiting without the gates opening, passengers were eventually told that there would be no further trips “until further notice.”
According to her, 19 vehicles and four trucks had been lined up at the port before the decision was communicated to them.
For her, another hotel room was difficult to secure after she lost her reservations while waiting at the ferry port. “Accommodation is an issue because there’s a system in Suriname where you lose your place at the hotel. By the time we called back, the room was gone.”
She said they eventually secured alternative accommodation about an hour and a half from the port but remained uncertain about when they would be able to return home. The situation is placing additional financial pressure on her because Guyanese currency is not accepted at many establishments in Suriname.
“Food is also an issue because you have to wait until you get into the ferry to be able to pay with Guyanese currency,” she explained, adding that they were also having to carefully manage fuel because they were spending extended periods waiting in their vehicles. “We are taking it one hour at a time,” she said, adding that they would eventually run out of Surinamese currency and were unable to access a bank because they were far from the city.
“I have my son with me, my husband is a teacher, and I have to turn out to work on the 31st,” she lamented.
Another passenger, who also preferred anonymity, said he had been waiting since Thursday night and had received no official update on when the ferry would resume. He arrived at the border at about 2 p.m. on Friday and was still waiting in his vehicle by yesterday afternoon.
“People with kids, people with jobs, no official word whether it will move today,” he said, noting that several passengers had switched off their vehicles to conserve fuel as they waited.
“I am stranded with three other persons,” he shared, explaining that the group had travelled to Paramaribo for a week and decided to return after being told that the ferry had passed its tests and was operating.
A third passenger described the experience as “really bad”, saying their family had spent the entire night at the port after travelling there believing the ferry service had resumed. “We’re here since last night around 7 (Friday night). We were here the entire night because we thought the boat was working,” the passenger said.
She said the group included eight children between the ages of three and 14. “We thought that the situation was resolved with the ferry. They published it was resolved and that’s why we brought the children,” she said.
She complained that no official information was being provided to those waiting and alleged that priority lines were being used despite some travellers arriving early. “There are priority lines and all of these things even if you came early,” she said.
The group was reluctant to leave the queue because of concerns that they could lose their place and face further delays. This passenger also shared that the children were being affected by the conditions at the port, including mosquitoes. “We want to go home. There isn’t anywhere else we can go,” she lamented. “We don’t want to take the chance to leave. At least tell us something,” she pleaded.
The situation has also drawn criticism from the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, which said the government has an immediate responsibility to assist Guyanese affected by the disruption.
In a statement, the office said scores of Guyanese were stranded in Suriname for more than two days after the M.V. Canawaima was prevented from sailing to Guyana over maintenance concerns. Passengers, it said, were left without certainty, with some facing additional hotel expenses and others reportedly lacking sufficient funds to secure accommodation.
“The Government has an immediate responsibility to provide assistance to affected citizens, establish a clear timeline for the resumption of service, and ensure a fair and transparent system for all passengers amid allegations of preferential treatment,” the statement said.
The Opposition Leader’s Team Mohamed Facebook page also claimed that some passengers had been forced to stay in hotels after spending long hours in their vehicles, while others had indicated that they could be forced to sleep in their vehicles if the situation remained unresolved.
It also alleged that some passengers on the Guyana side had lost money paid for hotels and Airbnb accommodation in Suriname because of the disruption.
The page called for a fair and transparent ticketing system, while alleging that some passengers were receiving priority treatment at the Guyana side of the crossing.
The Office of the Opposition Leader further criticised the government over the condition and reliability of the ferry service, arguing that the continued disruption was unacceptable given the scale of government spending. The statement specifically placed responsibility on Public Works Minister Juan Edghill, saying he should be held accountable for the situation.
The Canawaima Ferry Service notice, however, did not disclose the specific nature of the scheduled works, how long they are expected to take or when passengers can expect the vessel to return to service.
The uncertainty leaves travellers on both sides of the border waiting for further official communication while dealing with additional accommodation, food, fuel and transportation expenses.
For families travelling with children, pregnant passengers and persons with work obligations, the absence of a clear timeline has added to the frustration.
The ferry service has urged passengers, transport operators and other users to continue following its official channels for updates on resumption of the service.
Conflicting signals have been sent by authorities over the readiness of the Canawaima to resume service.
On Friday, the Canawaima Ferry Service Inc said that the sailing restriction on the MV Canawaima has been lifted following a re-inspection of the vessel.
In a press release, CFS said the vessel was re-inspected on August 13, 2026, after concerns were raised about outstanding safety and technical deficiencies.
“Following the re-inspection of the MV Canawaima on 13 August 2026, the announced sailing restriction has been lifted and ferry services between Suriname and Guyana can continue,” the companies said.
They added that further technical follow-up would continue in keeping with agreed arrangements.
“The safety of passengers, crew and the vessel remains the highest priority,” the release said.
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