Charles: new spirit of co-operation

Claude Benoit, Chairman of the Tobago Division of TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce, is hopeful that challenges on the inter-island transport route would be ironed out, and that the Galleons Passage would be safe for the public to use.

Benoit, speaking with reporters following a three-hour closed-door meeting convened by the Chamber to discuss ongoing challenges on the inter-island transport route at the Mt Irvine Bay Resort on Monday, said suggestions were made to address affecting truckers, as well as to restore passengers’ confidence in the sea bridge.

At the meeting were Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan and THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles along with officials of the Port Authority and the National Infrastructure Development Company Limited (NIDCO).

“We came up with some good suggestions that can be implemented to ease the present situation. Some of the truckers, they have been complaining about the problems with getting tickets and the speed of the present cargo boat (the Cabo Star), the time it leaves Port of Spain and the time it arrives in Tobago and how it disrupts the normal way of operations.

“That and among other matters, we were able to iron out some of them, we gave suggestions to the Minister in certain areas that can handle the transport between Trinidad and Tobago, specifically as it relates to injecting more confidence service to allow more people to start using the fast ferry,” Benoit said.

He said issues about the suitability and safety of the Galleons Passage for the sea bridge was also discussed and that Sinanan allayed their fears.

“…we’ve been hearing that the boat wouldn’t be certified and things like that, but the Minister put all those to rest,” said Benoit.

Sinanan, also speaking to reporters, described the meeting as fruitful and that a level of cohesion has been achieved.

“All the concerns that they placed on the table, I am happy that we can address all of them and we are working together. I think finally the Port Authority, NIDCO, the Ministry of Works and the Chamber, we are all at least on one page and we all pledge to work together to ensure that we solve all of the challenges that have been plaguing us for the last couple of years,” he said.

Charles, meanwhile, said he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.

“There seems to be a new spirit of cooperation and there is a commitment that we’ll continue to meet as regularly as possible and that we would seek to ensure that at the end of the day, whatever come out is to the benefit to the people of Tobago and to the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.