ANO UTD claims payment from Marine Directorate and Transport Ministry of Crimea to settle the debt to ferry Ionas (photo)
According to the monitoring service of ANO United Transport Directorate, Kerch ferry line is operational upon the completion of the reconstruction of port Krym berths. 390 passenger cars are waiting for their turn at port Kavkaz, 150 cars – at port Krym. Ferry boats Glykofilousa and Olimpiada operate at the ferry line.
Greek ferry Ionas is about to leave the service due to contract completion. The ferry operated at the line for almost a year. The first voyage was made on May 23, 2014.
The vessel is currently under the process of reexport though the charter hire has not been paid in full yet, ANO UTD says.
In January 2015, the responsibility for functioning of Kerch ferry service was handed over from the United Transport Directorate to Crimean Ministry of Transport which assigned the task to Marine Directorate LLC.
The United Transport Directorate is not involved in business activities, therefore Marine Directorate LLC under the agreement with a ship owner makes payments to the bank account of ANO UTD which then transfers the payment to the owner of Ionas. As soon as March payment hits the account of United Transport Directorate it will be able to settle the debt.
Ionas was built in the UK in 1989 and used to operate in the waters of Italy and Greece. Last time she was reconstructed in 2013. The vessel can carry some 600 passengers and up to 120 passenger cars.
