The Port of Scarborough turned out to be a saving grace for many airline passengers yesterday after Caribbean Airlines arranged for the inter-island ferry to transport passengers between the islands.
The passengers were told to use their airline tickets to secure a seat on the ferry after numerous CAL flights were cancelled because of “cockpit crew constraints.”
However, many passengers were still upset with how the situation was handled by the airline. A 55-year-old man from central Trinidad vowed never to return to Tobago again and he blamed CAL as the reason for his decision.
“I like coming to Tobago for a vacation, but it’s always getting worse and worse. You have to book plane and ferry tickets months in advance, then when something like this happens it throws everything off balance. I am not doing this again, Mayaro or Cedros for it,” he said.
A 29-year-old woman said, “I have to be at work tomorrow, suppose the ferry is cancelled, where will I stay. CAL has to do better than this, I have to exchange my ticket for a ferry ticket, will I get a refund on the balance. Things always working wrong side in this country.”
Meanwhile, PDP political leader Watson Duke said that he was among the many affected passengers.
In a voice message sent to the media, Duke said the blame did not lie with Caribbean Airlines, its pilots or its representatives. Instead, he said the Government was responsible.
He added that it was Government that needed to ensure there is reliable transportation and should have placed contingency measures in the event of any issues with CAL personnel.
He added Government “should not be caught with its pants down.”
