Although there are now two vessels taking cargo to Tobago, the island has experienced a 20-25 per cent decline in capacity since the MV Superfast Galicia left.
This according to chairman of the Inter-Island Transport Committee of the Tobago Chamber Diane Hadad who has described the unfolding scenario as “a criminal act against the people of Tobago.”
The Atlantic Provider has been rented for US$14,000 a day and the Trinity Transporter, a barge, which will transport construction material and heavy equipment is being rented at a daily cost of US$8,000. A total cost of US$22,000 a day. The daily cost to lease the Galicia was US$20,000.
The Galicia last sailing was on April 21. The vessel has since moved to Gibraltar after its operators refused to sign a month-to-month contract with the T&T Government.
Speaking to the media after touring the vessels last weekend Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan had said that the two vessels operating in tandem will provide greater capacity than the Galicia.
But the reality is completely different. Hadad said even together they are not meeting the needs of the island.
Hadad said everybody’s quota has had to be reduced “and it is becoming a big nightmare.” She said the situation is so bad that “truckers fighting each other for whose truck will board boat. We are creating enemies among people who have been working together for the past 18 years.”
Hadad said the Galicia provided 600 truck spaces a week, now she said even with the barge and the Provider there is a shortfall of 170 truck spaces. The Atlantic Provider could transport 280 trucks a week and the barge 150 flatbeds a week for a total of 430. Hadad said “it will be war as to who secures space for their vehicles.”
She anticipates that the “bigger problem of supplies to the island will become obvious by the end of next week.”
Hadad recalled that when the Minister of Works and Transport announced the replacements for the Galicia “he said small goods vehicles would also be transported on the two passenger ferries the T&T Express and the T&T Spirit.”
But she said both vessels are “ailing.” The T&T Express, she said, did not sail yesterday morning “and the T&T Spirit is operating on two and a half engines and the captains say they not putting any small trucks or vans on it because of the weight issue.”
“We are now butt head into a crisis,” she said.
The prospect of getting a proper vessel to replace the Galicia seems further off now after the Port announced on Thursday that having received only one tender for a vessel to replace the Galicia, it had taken a decision to “terminate this tender process, and approach the World Bank.”
The Authority said it was of the view that “the World Bank can provide the requisite expertise to determine the specifications for a suitable cargo vessel for the needs of the inter-island service. “
Additionally, it said “the assistance of the World Bank will be sought to determine an acceptable methodology in compliance with the tenets of good procurement practices. “
The Port said it was satisfied that this approach will realise the “best option” in the long term and that a resolution will be arrived at within the next three months.
Hadad said as yet no one has explained to them “what going to the World Bank would do. Common sense will say that process will be pretty much longer.”
The hours of travel for the Provider has varied between seven and a half to nine hours since it picked up the service on Sunday and the first trip by the barge the Transporter to the island on Thursday took 15 hours.
Hadad said having viewed the barge “it is not a barge with a difference, it is simple and can hold 54 flatbed racks, which is what we can put hardware items on.”
She said at 15 hours per sailing, “we will get three sailings a week.”
