Angry employees of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) yesterday up-staged a slew of government ministers who had gathered to launch the Government’s Wi-Fi on Buses service at the City Gate hub, as they demanded to speak with line minister Fitzgerald Hinds about monies owed to them.
The protestors, led by the Public Services Association branch chairman Darryl Lamy, said they wanted to “remind” the Government that close to 300 workers were to receive arrears, gratuities and payments in lieu of vacation leave.
Promised that they would have been paid by last November, Lamy said the workers had been waiting patiently for the monies which spanned 2011 to 2013.
The workers made their presence felt just as Public Administration and Communications Minister Maxie Cuffie took to the podium to deliver the feature address on the theme “From Drums to Wi-Fi” during which he spoke of the free service being provided by telecommunications giant Digicel.
Barred from entering the area where the formal event was being held, the group grew larger as word spread of what was happening; prompting Lamy to move the protest to the southern side of the facility where the loading bays are located.
In full view of seven Cabinet ministers and members of the public, the group refused to be appeased by PTSC general manager Ronald Forde and several other communications officials who appealed to them to desist from engaging in industrial action, promising that Hinds would hear them out later.
During an unplanned meeting with Lamy and a contingent of the workers following the event, Hinds said, “They are satisfied with what I have told them and I am satisfied with what they have told me.”
Declining to reveal what was discussed, Hinds would only say the meeting was cordial, disciplined and productive.
Regarding the payment of outstanding monies, he pointed out the difficult economic times that T&T was currently experiencing but assured that as soon as the Finance Minister could source the necessary funds, the workers would be paid.
Unwilling to let the mid-morning hiccup derail government’s plan to increase internet connectivity across the nation, Cuffie praised PTSC for partnering with them to ensure the public could stay connected while en-route to their various destinations.
Claiming that City Gate could now be referred to as the gateway to the information superhighway, Cuffie said persons traveling from Port-of-Spain to Arima, Sangre Grande, Chaguanas, San Fernando and Diego Martin could now enjoy the free online service.
Adding that Cabinet’s agreement to reconstitute the E-business round-table was evidence of their commitment to ensure the process was well planned and organised, Cuffie stressed that there were limits to what the public could access on the internet.
He said, “This service was not designed to stream movies or television shows. It was designed for real-time experiences such as checking your email, downloading a map of the city or making a quick Skype call.”
TTWi-Fi does not allow users to access Web sites that may be deemed inappropriate or unsuitable such as pornography, gambling or sites that promote hate and or acts of crime.
The current fleet of buses outfitted with Wi-Fi include seven Higer deluxe coaches and six Sunlong CNG-fully air-conditioned buses.
PTSC officials have promised that the service will soon be expanded to include Point Fortin and Tobago.
Cuffie said while there were was a limit of two one-hour sessions per day, it should be ample time for commuters to conduct their business.
Quoting from a Global Information Technology Report compiled by the World Economic Forum which ranked T&T as 67 out of 139 countries in the Network Readiness Index, Cuffie said this reflected an improvement of three places from 2015.
In the category of individuals using the internet, this country was ranked 47; while in the category of households with internet access, it was ranked at 64.
T&T was also ranked number one for Mobile Network Coverage out of the 139 countries.
Declaring that, “We cannot develop a digital economy until we develop a digital government,” Cuffie said yesterday marked the city’s journey to position itself to join the ranks of first-world status in the area of internet connectivity.
Excited over the introduction of free Wi-Fi, Hinds said the time had come for T&T to step up its game in the area of cutting edge developments.
Questioned later on as to why Digicel was chosen as the service provider, Cuffie explained that a competitive bidding process had been conducted and they were found to be the most suitable.
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh, who was also in attendance, confirmed there were two cases in which pregnant women had been diagnosed with the Zika virus. However, he declined to provide any more information as he cited the issue of patient confidentiality.