Now Tobago gets New Year ferry

BARELY 24 hours after the new Tobago ferry MV Sonia docked in Trinidad and Tobago, Works and Transport Minister Franklin Khan announced that Government will wetlease a fast ferry to service the Tobago seabridge and this vessel will be in Trinidad and Tobago in early January. Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Orville London said he was doubly pleased that Tobago will be serviced by these two vessels. Addressing yesterday’s post-Cabinet news conference at Whitehall, Khan said Government aborted plans to purchase a fast ferry earlier this year because the cost was very prohibitive and there was the view that such a vessel could not ply the Scarborough-Port-of-Spain route. “While tendering for Sonia, we started to get almost unsolicited, very attractive-looking rates for fast ferry charters.

Because of that, two weeks ago Cabinet asked the Port Authority to go back out for proposals on a six-month trial lease on a fast ferry and see what the market looks like. This six month-period actually provides an ideal window of opportunity for testing to see whether a fast ferry is a suitable vessel to ply the Scarborough-PoS route and what would be minimal exposure to the State,” the Minister disclosed. Khan said Government acted on the Port Authority’s recommendation “to wet-lease a fast ferry immediately” and has chartered a vessel called the CAT from Bay Ferries of the US at a rate of US$ 23,800 per day. The Sonia is being wetleased at a rate of US$24,000 per day. Unlike the Sonia which is brand new, Khan said the CAT is five years old but is still considered to be “new.”

He added: “Part of the charter party agreement would be that we can dispense of the ferry at any time during that six month period if we are not pleased with its service.” The Minister said if the arrangement works out, Tobago will be serviced by a cargo vessel, conventional ferry and a fast ferry. The CAT has passenger and vehicle capacities of 900 and 250 respectively. “As we enter the New Year, the (Tobago seabridge) service will be extremely efficient and effective,” he declared. London told Newsday that he was “very heartened” to learn that Tobago would be served by both the Sonia and the CAT.

He said there were several economic opportunities which could arise from this development and the six-month period outlined by Khan would allow proper evaluation of how these opportunities could be maximised. Noting that the PNM’s opponents in the January 17 THA elections would describe these vessels as election gimmicks, London said neither vessel could be regarded as such, given the cost and period for which they will be wetleased. Khan said tenders for a new water taxi service will close on January 15. He said the service would be economical to the population and while the arrangement was being considered as an interim one, while Government improves the nation’s road network, it could eventually become permanent once the right conditions are satisfied.