THE Member of Parliament for South Guadalcanal, David Day Pacha says the Solomon Islands Ports Authority (SIPA) should build a proper passenger terminal at Point Cruz Wharf in Honiara.
He said for many years, wharves at Point Cruz have been used for loading and unloading both cargo and passengers.
Mr Pacha said fortunately not many fatal accidents have occurred over those years, but the volumes of both incoming and outgoing cargoes and passengers have greatly increased and sooner or later one nasty accident could happen.
He said the passenger terminal will be used by home-bound and arriving passengers.
Mr Pacha said it is a common scene to see passengers with their cargoes wait in the sun or in the rain while waiting to board ships, adding the same story applies to disembarking travelers and their cargoes.
He said it is now the 21st Century and the Solomon Islands Ports Authority should improve its cargo and passenger services at Point Cruz.
Meanwhile, Mr Pacha said his South Guadalcanal constituents are complaining about the ship that has been allocated to their area under a franchised shipping arrangement with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.
He said the allocated ship is Invader Two, which had been used as a fishing boat before it was converted into a cargo/passenger boat.
But Mr Pacha said his people feel the Invader Two is not suitable to carry passengers.
He said passengers travelling to and from Honiara and the Weather-Coast deserve comfort, but presently the ship does not have benches for them to sit on with their bags.
By George Atkin