Cancel Tobago Jazz Experience, says Duke

Two weeks ago, International Shipping, the owner of the MV Super- Fast Galicia, served notice to the Port Authority (PATT) that it will be withdrawing its vessel from the sea bridge.

On Monday, Minister of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan confirmed that there are three options on the table to deal with the fallout - the T&T Spirit, the T&T Express and a walled barge.

The suggestion of using the barge has met with strong objection from the Tobago Division of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce as well as several people throughout the Tobago community, as they called on Government to purchase a vessel immediately.

Responding to questions at a press conference held at the Scarborough General Hospital on Thursday morning, Duke said focus should be placed on getting it right.

“Let them get a boat that can carry both cargo and passengers, that can facilitate the truckers who roll on and roll off, that facilitates a journey that is nothing more than four hours as the Galicia, that is basically new and not more than 15 years old,” Duke said.

“(We want) a boat that has multiple engines, so in case one is down it can still traverse, we want a boat with a track record, let them get a boat.” Duke said he has been speaking on the issue for a long time however no succession planning was put in place.

“We have said that the Galicia is going back and they are bringing a barge. This was to alert Tobagonians, this was to bring a consciousness to those who make decisions in Trinidad for us in Tobago that some type of good succession planning should have been in place. We spoke of that in January, we are in April and they are now saying that they have a barge available for us. We don’t want any barge.” He suggested that the Tobago Jazz Experience, scheduled to be held from April 22nd to 30th and which has been given a budget of $12 million, be cancelled.

“Is the jazz taking place? They really having jazz? Them guys real? There is nothing to jazz about in Tobago. The jazz right now on the ground is do we have a boat, will grocery run out, will we get our back pay, this is the jazz on the ground. These guys are living a different world. I would not be going to any jazz and I am discouraging persons from going to any Jazz.” The Super-Fast Galicia is expected to depart the inter-island route next Friday before it is returned to its owner, Trasmed. The Galicia, a 13-year-old vessel which principally transports cargo between Trinidad and Tobago daily, has been on a month-to-month lease with PATT. It began its service on July 7, 2014.