Sea bridge woes killing Tobago

THE EDITOR: Is a reliable and safe passenger vessel that traverses between Trinidad and Tobago equally important to Trinidad as it is to Tobago?

The answer to this is clear. If the passenger vessel was equally important to both islands, would there be a different response to acquiring one? What if the vessel were more crucial to the people of Trinidad? Would the response be the same? If Tobago contributed more than two electoral seats at general elections, would the response shift?

These hypotheticals are placed to provoke some thought among the readership.

I am a Tobagonian by birth and boat as my navel string is buried somewhere in Belle Garden and my ancestors endured that trip of the triangular slave trade on a slave ship.

Fortunately, today I have little reason to travel to Trinidad and when that little reason arises, I travel by plane. On such occasions, I hope and pray that the flight leaves at the prescribed time.

But because of this, do I disregard the hundreds of people who depend on the passenger and cargo vessels? Do I simply bypass the posts that Elizabeth Williams, a popular blogger, highlights on her Facebook about incessant cancellations?

How many of these hundreds of people have no choice but to travel to Trinidad for medical care, school, their businesses and so on? How many of them are as lucky as Maxie Cuffie to have their medical bills paid for by the State?

Reverse traffic up to Tobago is primarily recreational. This too affects Tobago businesses as the taxis, hoteliers and other small businesses lose potential customers in cancellations. The farce of tourism in Tobago is being unveiled as the already dying economy is being battered to death.

The relationship between our lovely twin islands is being trampled upon by the very people we have charged to protect our constitution and rights. What more basic a function does any government have than to ensure that the union of the State remains intact? It pains me to see Tobagonians at the helm turning their faces and uttering known untruths in and out the people’s house.

Suffering Tobagonians feel fearful to speak out after the remarks of the representative of Tobago West, Shamfa Cudjoe, in the Parliament. She said we shouldn’t let Tobagonians by boat (a group to which I belong as aforementioned) tell us that things are bad in Tobago as regard foodstuff transport from Trinidad. As if we are all simpletons and cannot determine this on our own.

There is this thick cloud of dissent and fear of discrimination that hangs over us if we speak out. Were these not the champions of our democracy a short time ago, when in opposition, standing in defence of Tobago, as was their slogan? How quickly we forget.

In toto, reliable and safe air and sea travel are the very basics. Let’s do this!

ADRIAN ALLEYNE, Scarborough