Senior Multimedia Reporter
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan has assured that the domestic seabridge will not be affected by the designation of the Galleon’s Passage as one of the vessels that will be transporting cargo and passengers between T&T, Barbados and Guyana on a regional ferry service that will begin operating shortly.
Sinanan gave that assurance yesterday, as he toured construction works on the southbound lane of the Solomon Hochoy Highway.
He said the stability of the highway is compromised by a slippage measuring four metres in depth, and approximately $2.5 million has been allocated for temporary shoring of the highway and construction of a third lane to accommodate traffic flow.
Asked to comment on the impact of the Caricom ferry on the seabridge, Sinanan said connectivity would not be compromised once the Galleons Passage begins its inter-island trips.
“Right now, we have five vessels operating between Trinidad and Tobago. We have a cargo vessel and four passenger vessels.
“At any point in time, two of the vessels are down because there are no passengers to move, so what we do is utilise the ferries in between. The Galleon’s Passage came to Trinidad when we had no proper ferries operating. Since then, we have acquired two brand new ferries.”
Sinanan clarified that the objective was not to maintain four passenger ferries between Trinidad and Tobago due to capacity constraints. He said the Galleon’s Passage will serve as an interim vessel to kickstart the Caricom trade process without affecting the seabridge.
“We have developed a team working with Guyana and Barbados, to come up with the framework of how to operate. We don’t need more than one vessel. The Galleon’s Passage is what we will be providing to start the process.
“We are also going to spec a more suitable vessel for the long term. A company is being formed, and that company will be operating in inter-island travel, not solely by Trinidad but in collaboration with Guyana and Barbados,” the minister explained.
Commenting on the ongoing highway works, Sinanan assured that the T20 men’s competition will not be affected.
He said the highway slippage issue originated in 2014 when the retaining wall failure caused the entire highway to shift. He said the temporary measures currently in place, costing around $2.5 million, were an extension of the third lane of the highway.
“One of the challenges we have on the highway is there are just two lanes. We’re coming off the interchange from four lanes, two on top and two underneath. As you approach the bridge, you come down to two lanes. If one vehicle has a problem, then you have one lane,” Sinanan said.
Sinanan said there has not been increased demand for the water taxi during the highway roadworks, as that service operates during peak periods and is not extensively utilised otherwise.
“This temporary (solution) is for a few days. By tomorrow, we will have an extra lane. We will start the permanent solution to reinstate the highway and extend the highway to two more lanes,” he said.