Faith: Sea bridge worse one year after protest swim

On the first anniversary of a protest swim on August 28, 2017, by Minority Leader Watson Duke and Minority member Farley from Scarborough to Toco, to raise awareness for a functional, efficient sea bridge for Tobagonians, the service was in an even worse state with only one ferry in operation.

So contended Minority Councillor Faith BYisrael, who said on Tuesday that Tobagonians has been left with only promises.

“A year later we are in a worse position than we were in back the 2017. I am highlighting the need for us as Tobagonians to continue raising the issue, showing we are not pleased with what is happening. It (sea bridge travel) has gotten even worse because we currently have only one passenger ferry working. We have the Cabo Star, the cargo ferry which is expected to go on dry dock sometime in September, and now that we are in a season where travel between Trinidad and Tobago is critical we are unable to do so effectively.

“The current situation also includes us waiting very patiently for the new second-hand passenger vessel, the Galleons Passage, that came to the island some time ago, but we have not been able to have it functioning on the sea bridge,” she said.

BYisrael, speaking at the Minority Council’s weekly media briefing at James Park, also claimed a second report commissioned by Government from Lloyds Register has identified the same issues for attention as were listed in a first report.

Noting that the Minority Council has drawn attention to reports detailing inefficiencies and other issues relating to the ability of the vessel to sail the sea bridge, she also claimed on Tuesday that sprinklers were still to be installed in the passenger areas of the vessel, along with additional safety rafts.

“We are asking the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, we are also asking Nidco (Infrastructure Development Company Limited) and Minister of Transportation (Rohan Sinanan) to let us know what exactly is the current position.

“We would like to know what that new report says because we understand that many of the issues identified in the first report were repeated in the second report and that is why the vessel cannot get authorisation…until those safety issues be rectified.

“We are still in that position and we know there is a crew in Trinidad and Tobago for a test run, but we also understand issues from the Lloyds (Register) and Tsunami (Marine Limited) reports need to be rectified,” she said.

On Sunday, Sinanan said a foreign crew for the Galleons Passage was getting familiar with the ferry, ahead of its trial run to Tobago this week. He has previously announced the arrival of the crew at a Conversations with the Prime Minister event at the Scarborough Library last Thursday.

“If everything goes well we are hoping that by the third week, the vessel should be put into work,” he told Tobagonians at the library. It was not clear what ‘third week’ he was referring to.

Sinanan also told Tobagonians that the Nidco was seraching for a fast ferry, which would be leased for two years.

“We’re hoping that we would be able to put into service a third ferry to do the inter-island route… that would be an arrangement for two years and the Cabinet did announce that the Government is going out for the purchase of two brand new passenger fast ferries. So we would have three vessels operating, once the two new ferries come in, we would replace two of the older vessels. So, we should have working three brand new vessels with a plan to replace the vessels long before we ever get to the position that we’re in now,” he said.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, also speaking at the Concversations with the Prime Minister event, said the new fast ferries should arrive in TT by mid-2020.

Dr Rowley also told the audience the Galleons Passage was not a fast ferry and if passengers were looking for speed, they should not go on the vessel and then complain it was slow.

“If you want speed, don’t go on it. Don’t go on the Galleons Passage, then come back and tell me it’s slow… it is supposed to be 22 knots, it’s a single hull 22 knots ferry, which is supposed to take a little longer to get to Tobago,” he said, adding:

“You cannot buy a fast ferry in the supermarket, you cannot buy a fast ferry in the hardware store. Let me just remind you all, that the first fast ferry that ever worked in Tobago to Trinidad was the CAT and before that we were going to Trinidad and coming back night and day.

“We bought the Galleon Passage because it was available at the time when we were out looking for a fast ferry… Fast ferries are hard to get. We bought it because eventually, we expect to use it from Toco to Tobago.”

He said efforts were being made to improve transport between Trinidad and Tobago and urged Tobagonians to make the best of what is available to them in the meantime.