QCOSTARICA — Travel to the Nicoya Peninsula got complicated on Tuesday with the crashing of the Tambor III ferry into the Paquera dock, forcing the closure of the dock for at least two months.
The accident occurred around 9:00 am, according to authorities from the Ministerio de Obras Publicas y Transportes (MOPT).
The closure of the Paquera dock was announced Tuesday afternoon following a preliminary assessment of the damage, in particular the piles that are not in condition to operate and no way to dock, carried out by MOPT engineers.
“We are clear that at least 2 complete modules, each 3 meters wide, are damaged and, in addition, a pile is damaged.
“After the assessments, we will take the pertinent measures. After the assessments, we will take the pertinent measures,” said Verny Jiménez, director of the Maritime Port Division of the MOPT.
Jiménez acknowledged that the damage is “extremely serious.”
The MOPT official said that the people and vehicles on the ferry that crashed were able to get off at the Playa Naranjo ferry dock. It’s the only one that will be open for the next few months and a 30-minute drive from Paquera.
Travel to and from the Nicoya Peninsula on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast, including popular destinations like Santa Teresa, Montezuma, Mal Pais, Nicoya, Nosara, Samara, and Playa Grande in Las Baulas National Marine Park, has become more challenging due to the closure of the Puente de la Amistad bridge on April 1 and expected to reopen in mid-July.
The ferries (Paquera and Naranjo) were intended to make travel to the Nicoya Peninsula easier, by increasing the number of trips to and from the Puntarenas docks.
Tuesday night the MOPT announced that the Playa Naranjo docks will operate on a 24 hour basis.
“We understand the importance of this service for the communities of the Peninsula, and to meet the high demand due to the closure of the bridge over the Tempisque River, the shipping company that operates the ferry on Naranjo beach, Coonatramar, was authorized to work 24 hours a day and thus be able to assume the demand from the Paquera ferry,” explained the MOPT.
Naviera maintains silence
Users on Tuesday showed no mercy to Naviera Tambor, owner of the ferry that collided with the dock, after asking for explanations because many had already purchased their tickets to travel.
The company’s fanspage was flooded with strong comments about the handling of the situation because more than 20 hours had passed since the incident and there was no response to what happened.
“We want explanations. The video shows that the ferry never slowed down and that it was not in a disembarkation position either. This leaves me with big questions about the captain’s negligence, irresponsibility and carelessness,” denounced many on social networks.
