Port authority board stays mum

When board Chairman Alison Lewis arrived at the PATT’s head office on Dock Road, Port of Spain at about noon, she ignored reporters questions when asked what the meeting was about.

As the media camped outside the port authority throughout the afternoon into the evening some members of the public gave the thumbs up signal or just made encouraging remarks to the media while the police stayed in close proximity monitoring.

There were speculations about the meeting’s agenda and whether or not it included a discussion on the Bridgeman’s Services Group’s proposal to allow the use of the passenger vessel Ocean Flower 2 for a two-weeks trial run on the Trinidad and Tobago sea bridge, free of cost to Government.

When asked last evening if any outcomes of yesterday’s meeting was conveyed to him and whether he knew if any consideration was being given to Bridgeman’s proposal, Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan told Newsday the board had to make that decision, and he was not aware of the board’s meeting agenda at the time. The board does not have to report to him on every thing, he said, adding they will inform him when it is necessary.

The PATT cancelled the contract with Bridgeman’s for the lease of the Ocean Flower 2 because it was not delivered on time, but has retained the contract for the cargo vessel, Cabo Star.

There are already complaints that the Cabo Star is not performing up to expectations.

Sinanan and Lewis have said that it is a priority to the board to begin the process of procuring a vessel to ply the sea bridge as the T&T Express is due to go on dry dock for repairs by October.

After seven hours of waiting, in spite of text messages and phone calls made to the Lewis and deputy chairman Adrian Beharry about the meeting’s agenda, as the day progressed, neither replied though it was evident that they had read the messages, and no one came out to speak with the media.

There were also speculations that some members were considering resignations in the wake of calls for the resignation of the entire for what is being called the sea bridge fiasco. Two members of the seven-member board left the meeting, one did so about 2.00 pm while the second one left at about 4.00 pm. They did not stop their vehicles when approached.