Warrior Spirit:

Members of the Tobago business community have advised Tobagonians not to expect the prices of goods to drop overnight despite the addition of the “Warrior Spirit” to the seabridge.

While they were optimistic about the cargo vessel’s capability to carry more than double the capacity at approximately four times cheaper than the “Sonia”, the group said a number of other factors would influence the reduction in prices.

“When you think that it would normally cost in excess of one thousand dollars to transport a truck to Tobago and you can now bring a flat bed and container to Tobago for maybe two hundred dollars, that’s a significant reduction. However, market prices, demand and supply has more to do with it,” Tommy Elias, member of the Tobago Chamber Port Committe explained yesterday.

“Obviously if the product is in short supply and there is a high demand for it then the price will not reduce and you may even see a price increase. But generally with the abundance of cargo capacity, there will be more competition and therefore the prices will drop.”

Elias said the reduction will also depend on if the Port Authority (PATT) puts the necessary steps in place to increase the flatbed and container capacity as suggested in the recent THA Cost of Living Differential report.

PATT chief executive officer Christopher Mendez, during a tour of the “Warrior Spirit” yesterday, attempted to address this concern by announcing that the port was in the process of inviting tenders for six 40-foot flatbeds. However, Elias said it would take at least 60 beds to effectively improve the capacity.

Despite their “appreciating the Warrior Spirit for Tobago”, vice-president of the Tobago Vendors Association, Ramesh Persad said the vessel was “not for us.”

Persad said the vessel was perfect for the transportation of cargo but perishable goods were an exception.

“It looks very good for cargo and the difference (from the Sonia) is very visable from the time that you enter but our concern is for perishable items and, if push comes to shove, the Warrior Spirit could probably accomodate them. However, perishable goods need to reach Tobago as fast as possible so while we appreciate it for Tobago, it doesn’t suit us,” said Persad, adding his group may opt to continue using the fast ferry service.

Minister of Works and Transport Colm Imbert along with THA Chief Secretary Orville London and other THA executives as well as officials of the Port Authority took members of the media on a tour aboard the three-level vessel in Scarborough yesterday.

The “Warrior Spirit”, said Imbert, has the capacity to hold approximately 200 trucks as well as 133 passengers.

Imbert and London reiterated that the vessel was on a two-year test run as part of a strategy to determine what vessels would best service the route and reassured that even though there were plans to lease another ferry during the busy July/August period, they believed the three ferries (Lynx, Panorama and Warrior Spirit) would be able to handle the demand until the new vessel arrives in September.

London said three vessels, including two fast ferries and a dedicated cargo vessel, will be on the route by year’s end.