The year started with campaigning in full swing for the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections. It was a four-way battle between the incumbent Peoples National Movement (PNM), Christlyn Moore’s Tobago Forwards, the Progressive Democratic Patriots led by trade unionist Watson Duke and the Movement for Transformation led by former PNM government minister Eudine Job Davis.
PNM political leader Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and his team were seeking a landslide for the ruling party to maintain its 12-0 control of the THA. However, controversial trade unionist Watson Duke delivered a surprise as his PDP captured two of the 12 seats, ending the PNM’s complete dominance.
Although the PNM ended up with two less seats, Prime Minister Rowley still described the party’s showing as a “handsome victory by any standard” as he congratulated new THA Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles for his role in the party’s victory which gave them their fifth consecutive term in control of the Assembly.
Just a month later came the first indicators of a controversy that has been affecting a vital link between Trinidad and Tobago for the better part of this year. Online site shipmax.com signalled the imminent departure of the lone inter-island cargo vessel the MV Superfast Galicia, indicating that the vessel was returning Spain to begin operating there from May. The departure was Valentine’s Day, February 14.
This development came four months into the tenure of Rohan Sinanan as Works and Transport Minister.
According to reports, there had been a recommendation to the board of the Port Authority of T&T (PATT), then headed by Christine Sahadeo, for an 18 month extension on the contract for the Galicia, which had been operating on a month to month basis. The extension was never granted.
There were claims that agent for the Galicia, John Powell, of Inter-Continental Shipping, had sought a three year contract followed by two one year extensions after Sinanan refused to sign the 18 month agreement. Government insisted that something was wrong with the procurement of the Galicia.
By late February Sahadeo had resigned and shortly after that the entire PATT board stepped down. Within days a new board headed by former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance Allison Lewis was installed. Their first order of business was to find a cargo and passenger ferry for the seabridge.
In April, representatives of the Tobago business community, the Inter-Island Truckers and Traders Association, hoteliers and others stakeholders held an emergency meeting and called for Sinanan to resign because of his “ineptitude” in handling the issue. In response, Sinanan said the Galicia had been contracted until October 17 and there would be legal action over its early departure from the seabridge.
A barge, the Trinity Transporter and the ferry Atlantic Provider were brought in to transport cargo at a cost of US$22,000 a day. However, the arrangement did not go down well with stakeholders. Tobago Chamber president Demi John Cruickshank described the decision to use a barge as backward but Sinanan insisted it as a short term arrangement to ensure there was no disruption in service.
At a meeting between Tobago stakeholders , the PATT chairman, Prime Minister Rowley and Sinanan, there were complaints about the inadequacy of the service and how that was adversely affecting businesses and the lives of Tobagonians. There were reports of supplies running low on the island, with empty shelves in groceries and some smaller businesses forced to close.
In June the PATT announced that cargo and passenger vessels Cabo Star and the Ocean Flower 2, both owned by Bridgemans Services Group in Canada, had been secured for the seabridge. The Cabo Star arrived on July 19 and started operating on the route on July 23. Truckers complained that there wasn’t enough space on board for trucks and passengers and the vessel was taking longer than the Galicia to make the trip.
When the Ocean Flower 2, which should have been in the country by late July, failed to arrive by early August its contract was cancelled. A report by Port engineer Brendon Powder and then CEO of the Inter-Island Transport Service Leon Grant pointed to several flaws in the vessel and recommended that it not be used on the service. Grant was suspended shortly after that and has not yet been reinstated.
The Ocean Flower 2 eventually sailed into Chaguaramas on the same day that tenders were opened for another passenger ferry. It as one of 11 vessels tendered.
On August 28, Watson Duke, THA minority leader, attempted a 20 mile swim from Scarborough to Toco to protest the unreliability of sea and air services between the two islands. After an hour, when he had covered about 500 metres, Duke said he was tired and completed the journey towed by a jet ski and in a pirogue.
As the year ended, Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young announced that no vessel had been selected and a Cabinet Committee chaired by Finance Minister Colm, Imbert and including Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte and Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe had been appointed to secure a vessel for the service.
In early September, a Parliamentary Joint Select Committee launched an investigation into the procurement of the Cabo Star and Ocean Flower 2. Among those giving evidence were Prime Minister Rowley, Sinanan, his predecessor Fitzgerald Hinds and past and current directors of the PATT.
At the same time, businessman Christian Moutett was appointed by the Prime Minister to investigate the ferry fiasco. His report was submitted in mid September .
In October, acting CEO of the PATT Charmaine Lewis was fired. She linked her dismissal to allegations she levelled against Sinanan at the JSC but the minster dismiss the allegations as “blatant lies.” Lewis has since taken legal action against the PATT.
Adding to problems on the seabridge, one of the passenger ferries, the T&T Spirit, went on dry dock in June and had not returned to service by year’s end, leaving just one the T&T Expressto service the route supplemented at times by the Water Taxi Service.