Among its work ahead, the new Port Authority of T&T board will be examining specifications for the purchase of new fast passenger vessels for the Tobago ferry service, Works Minister Rohan Sinanan announced yesterday.
Speaking to reporters after the swearing-in of new Port board commissioners at President’s House, St Ann’s, Sinanan said the current two passenger vessels - T&T Spirit and T&T Express - are old and coming to an end of their cycle.
He said Cabinet has approved purchase of new passenger vessels and the board would start by examining specifications necessary for purchase.
There had been problems with the T&T Express recently and it didn’t sail on Monday when it was due to return to the sea bridge. Sinanan said this was because the vessel had to obtain certification, which couldn’t have been done last Sunday .
Regarding other developments ahead, he said the port also has to be dredged and may require constant dredging. The new board, which will be headed by Allison Lewis, will decide the extent to which it will be dredged, he added.
Government may also consider extra berthing facilities for the port, since the facility has to be upgraded. He said the new board has been challenged to obtain an upgrade plan.
President Anthony Carmona, who administered the oath of office to board members, urged them to look forward and not back at the former board. Saying there was a long road ahead, he urged them to endeavour to make the port lucrative and quipped they should charge fees in US dollars rather than TT.
Carmona said he was impressed with their resumes and urged members not to be intimidated by misinformation, misinterpretation or negative things that may be said about them. He said he was happy the board had Tobago representation, since there were issues with the old transport system and “we need to get it right.”
Meanwhile, passengers complained of a delay of the ferry service and being stranded at the Port of Port-of-Spain, after the early sailing of the T&T Express was pushed to 4 pm.
Passengers said that they waited as early as 3 am for the vessel and the delay in sailing was a recurring issue.
Yesterday, the PATT said things would normalise from today as both the T&T Spirit and the T&T Express will be operational.
