Charles: Galleons Passage, Toco port good for Tobago

Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles has described the purchase of the Galleons Passage and the planned construction of a port in Toco as “steps in the right direction.”

Charles responding to a question for oral answer from Minority Leader Watson Duke at last Thursday’s plenary of the Tobago House of Assembly 2017-2021 at the Chamber in Scarborough, said “when all ferries come into operation …this will auger well for Tobago and by extension the people of Trinidad and Tobago given the high transportation demands between both islands especially during peak periods.

“This type of development will also aid considerably in making travel between the two islands reasonably hassle-free,” he said.

Duke, referring to statements made by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley at the August 23 at the Tobago leg of “Conversations with the Prime Minister where he said the Galleons Passage was a slow boat and it was bought for the Toco to Tobago route, asked Charles whether he was aware of this policy decision,

He also asked Charles if he was aware of the unique travel needs of Tobagonians and whether any study was done to determine the number of Tobagonians who wanted to travel to Toco instead of Port of Spain, and were willing to travel for over six hours by sea.

Charles said he was aware of the Government’s decision to construct a port at Toco to service the Tobago, that it was a Cabinet decision made public by the Minister of Works and Transport in 2017, that it was reported that the idea of the port in Toco was first conceptualised some 30 years ago.

“However, given the recent transportation challenges between both islands it was determined that now is the best time to implement this project,” he said, adding that according to the Minister of Works and Transport, construction is expected to start in 2019.

“It is anticipated that this link to Tobago will provide an additional alternative to commute to Tobago… passengers will have an option to commute between Port of Spain and Scarborough or Toco and Scarborough, adding greater accessibility to Tobago,” he said.

“The Government had mandated the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago to acquire two fast ferries to service the domestic route, however they were unsuccessful after six attempts, which warranted the intervention of the Prime Minister… Subsequently a subcommittee of Cabinet comprising four Ministers was appointed by the Prime Minister to negotiate the acquisition of two fast ferries for Tobago,” he reminded.

Charles said during the search for the two fast ferries, the Galleons Passage was made available for purchase at a time when there was no passenger ferry operating between the islands.

“A decision was taken by the Government to procure this vessel bearing in mind the existing challenges on the sea bridge and the Government’s long-term vision to resolve the transportation issues. The Prime Minister indicated during a radio interview on July 10, that the Galleons Passage was purchased at a time when the government was looking for a ferry to ease the woes of Tobagonians, however the Prime Minister noted that the Galleons Passage is not a fast ferry but an ordinary passenger ferry and has an estimated journey of just over four hours one way.

“Two trial runs with the Galleons Passage from Port of Spain to Scarborough were conducted and the estimated time thus far was just over four hours,” he said.