Close to a three-hour delay in a ferry trip from Savaii to Upolu last Friday led the Minister of Works Transport and Infrastructure Olo Fiti Afoa Vaai to issue a formal apology to the public for the lengthy delay in the ferry schedule.
The ferry was scheduled to depart Savaii at 4 pm, however, it did not leave the wharf until close to 7 pm and passengers took their frustrations online calling on the current administration to “do better” and be considerate of people whose plans were disrupted, also the passengers had to scramble to look for transport when the ferry arrived at Mulifanua.
According to witnesses the ferry had to wait for the Chinese tourists and some Cabinet Ministers.
In a statement, Minister assures the public that this is not a reflection of the government’s stance and that this will not happen again.
“As the responsible Minister of Transportation, I apologize to everyone who was affected by this occurrence. I apologize on behalf of my staff and the Government.“I also sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. I understand the frustration and inconvenience that this caused and I am committed to ensuring that such disruptions do not recur in the future.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
According to passengers on the ferry, they were waiting for Asian tourists and urged the government to charter a different ferry for tourists.
