Jean de la Vallette sails in 2 weeks

During the media tour of the Jean de la Vallette ferry at the Cruise Ship Complex in Port of Spain yesterday, hosted by Works and Transport Minister, Rohan Sinanan, he said the vessel will make its first commercial sailing in the next two weeks.

Sinanan said: “My information is all the certification has been completed, and what we are doing now is familiarising the local staff with the vessel. So we are looking at the weekend of the 15th for the first commercial sailing.”

The high-speed catamaran ferry, owned and operated by Virtu Ferries, is licensed for 800 passengers but can seat over 1,000. Sinanan said it will not take more people than the number for which it is licensed, and that will allow for passengers’ comfort, as there will be extra seats on the vessel.

The vessel can also accommodate 156 vehicles, including trucks and containers, and Sinanan added that it has all the technology needed for loading and off-loading large trucks.

The media tour started at the back of the vessel, on an outside deck seating area on the first passenger floor, which can seat approximately 80 people.

In the mid-ship area are the Truckers' Lounge the St Elmo’s Lounge, and a souvenir shop that Sinanan said his ministry is going to reserve for the tourism ministry.

Fourteen local staff caterers and cleaners will work alongside the crew as part of the lease arrangement, which includes the captain and his operational team.

The nine-year-old Maltese ferry will cost Government approximately $271,014 ($35,500 euros) per day to lease, and will serve as an inter-island ferry for a year, and a further six months if required, until two new ferries arrive in TT towards the end of 2020. Those two fast ferries are now being custom-built for TT by Australian shipbuilders Austal and INCAT.

Sinanam said once it is in use, the Jean de la Vallette will sail as often as required, six days a week, with a day off for maintenance. The vessel can run the TT route in two and a half hours, but an exact time will be established on completion of a sea trial.

In terms of sailings per day, Sinanan said the number will be looked at and whatever is required, the government is committed to ensuring that it satisfies the needs of the travelling public between Trinidad and Tobago.

Taking a jab at opposing voices, especially where cost is concerned, Sinanan said: “The government has done everything humanly possible to ensure we have a running seabridge. Unfortunately there are some people who may not want us to have a smooth-running seabridge.

“My critics definitely don’t like the people of Tobago, because if they had any care for them, they would recognise the seabridge is not a profit-making entity. It is a service and it is subsidised by the government, and it has always been like that. We have a responsibility for both Trinidad and Tobago citizens, and we will ensure that we have a proper running seabridge and hopefully, once our new vessels come in, we will not have to pay a lease cost.”