Faith: Galleons Passage a mediocre service by Govt

Minority Councillor Faith BYisrael is calling on Tobagonians to reject mediocrity which she said was being provided by Government with the Galleons Passage on the sea bridge

In an interview with Newsday Tobago Tuesday at James Park, following the Minority’s press briefing, BYisrael said the stated capacity of the Galleons Passage was 700 passengers and 100 vehicles.

“So if we have a vessel that is supposed to carry this number, how are we only now carrying 400 passengers and 50 vehicles? We cannot declare that as a sold out trip."

Last Friday, the Port Authority announced the Galleons Passage was completely sold out for the first time since it started operations on the sea bridge, on its 6:30 am sailing to Tobago, carrying 400 passenger and 50 vehicles.

BYisrael said the vessel’s capability can only be determined when it is transporting its full complement of vehicles and travellers.

She urged Tobagonians to not to accept mediocrity, especially when a high standard of service was promised, declaring that 400 passengers is nowhere close to 700 so the 4-hour time it took is not a true indication of the time it will take when it is transporting 700 passengers with 100 cars.

“I am not going to praise mediocre service or delivery when, even from the beginning they told us the vessel was coming at a certain time and it didn’t, causing the inter-island transport system to crash.

“Nine months later the vessel is finally here and it can only carry half of the passengers and vehicles that they promised us. The same way I will expect them to do what they said they were going to do, I expect Tobagonians to hold me to those same standards, where they do not just praise me for mediocre service.

She also noted that several issues needed to be dealt with before the vessel was put in operation, after arriving in TT.

“The inter-island ferry service is one that the PNM-led THA and central government crashed deliberately,” she said.

Meanwhile, checks with some hoteliers revealed that they were yet to feel any impact of the Galleons Passage on the sea bridge after dealing with the last two years of a broken system.