Finance Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Joel Jack says the Assembly has been assured there will be two new vessels on the sea bridge by July, bringing an end to challenges on the inter-island service. However, that announcement has been met with a mixture of scepticism and hope.
In an interview hours after he presented the $5 billion budget for Tobago, Jack said the THA had been in “back room discussions”with Minister of Works Rohan Sinan and the Board of the Port Authority.
“They have assured us in time for July they will have two new vessels,” he said.
Jack said the THA is “fairly comfortable in terms of the timeline” but admitted he is not comfortable with the current situation.
“As a Tobagonian and as a Trinbagonian, I want to see it addressed with urgency. We have been given a commitment and timelines and we are waiting on the board and the Cabinet,” he said.
Contacted on the issue, Port Authority chairman Allison Lewis said she is waiting on final due diligence and approval which she hopes to get soon.
President of the Tobago Chamber Demi John Cruickshank said he was “comforted to hear the Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles say that the vessels would be here by early or mid-July.”
“For the first time Charles is saying two boats coming, and I hope that all goes well,” he said.
“We have to have a vessel so that people feel confident coming to Tobago.”
Cruickshank is also hoping Finance Minister Colm Imbert takes the THA budget seriously and gives the island more than the minimum 4.03 per cent allowed for.
“We have to look at development in Tobago, especially with Sandals coming. This is the time for the THA to be given a proper development allocation. That is a big concern of the Chamber in terms of the THA being starved for development funds,” he said.
However, president of the Inter-Island Trailers and Truckers Association Horace Amede is not as confident that the vessels will be here in July. He said since the Superfast Galicia left on April 21, “we have been hearing that we getting a vessel.”
“Every time the Minister of Works and Transport speaks he says a vessel coming in two weeks,” he said.
He warned: “If you don’t have a mode of transport to move the people to Tobago, the economy will be at a standstill. Unless we can have the movement of people the economy will remain dormant. Local tourists are an essential part of the Tobago economy.
“The first thing to do is to fix the transport between Trinidad and Tobago so that people can be assured if they come to Tobago for the day they could get back home. People don’t want to come not knowing how they will get back home.”
JACK ON AIRBRIDGE
On the issue of the airbridge Jack thanked the staff of Caribbean Airlines (CAL) at Crown Point and Piarco who had been doing yeoman service given the problems on the sea bridge.
“They have really worked up and above the call of duty and I just want to thank them for that,” he said.
He said he had suggested to the Minister of Finance that given the challenges on the airbridge they look for some alternatives.
He said the THA had been working with CAL and a report, is being put together with recommendations to improve the air bridge.
