Montevideo pontoon dispute blocks second Buenos Aires ferry operator

In Uruguay, Colonia Express cannot begin passenger and vehicle ferry services between Montevideo and Buenos Aires, although it received the relevant authorization from the Ministry of Transport and Public Works at the end of July. The reason is a dispute over the only pontoon in the Port of Montevideo suitable for unloading vehicles: it belongs to Buquebus, which currently serves this route alone. Dispute over access to the pontoon A pontoon is a floating platform used to load vehicles onto vessels and unload them from them. Buquebus built the platform near Maciel Pier after obtaining a concession for the passenger terminal in 1996. In 2016, when the National Port Administration terminated that concession, the pontoon ceased to be part of state infrastructure. As MercoPress reports, Colonia Express is asking the authorities to ensure shared use of the platform, while Buquebus opposes this. Sources at the National Port Administration told the newspaper El País that this is a dispute between private parties. According to them, the administration has not received official documents regarding the authorization, and the decision on use of the pontoon must be made by its owner. More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram. The company plans to go to court Colonia Express Director Sebastián Planas announced the company's intention to go to court seeking an interim measure against the ministry and the port administration. The company believes that the ministry must provide a decision, while the port administration must oblige Buquebus to share the pontoon or remove it. Colonia Express also claims that the condition of Maciel Pier does not allow for installation of a second platform and expects to begin operations in the next summer season. The 380-meter-long pier, with a vessel depth of five meters, has problems with dredging and maintenance, causing it to periodically cease operations. Preparations are underway for a tender for its reconstruction, whose technical requirements are still being developed. In March, the National Port Administration declared of interest Buquebus's private initiative to reconstruct the pier and modernize the terminal at a cost of between $66 million and $100 million. This gives the company an advantage in the tender process. From January through July, more than 500,000 passengers used the route across the Río de la Plata, and 57,000 vehicles were transported. Buquebus, owned by Argentine businessman Juan Carlos López Mena, recorded 70,000 more boardings and disembarkings during this period than last year. Colonia Express has operated since 2007. Read us on Telegram and Sends