Questions about water taxis for Trinidad and Tobago

A number of questions arise over the Trinidad and Tobago government's decision to buy water taxis.

In the 2007 Budget, an allocation of $343 Million was made for the implementation of a water taxi service.

NIDCO attempted to purchase four vessels from SeaStreak Limited (a subsidiary of the Bankrupt Sea Containers Ltd) of New Jersey. That purchase has obviously failed, and now Cabinet has approved US$40 Million for four new vessels.

These would be manufactured by Gladding-Heard Shipping, the same shipbuilder of the SeaStreak vessels. The company's managing Director, Peter Duclos, has confirmed that a new vessel of the type is USD$10Million each, which tallies with the figures quoted in the Express Newspaper of Friday 21/03/08.

However, there is a three-year lead time on orders, which means that vessels would be delivered in 2010 or 2011 if ordered now.

So, the most obvious question is when is Trinidad and Tobago going to see the first water taxi in service. One of the other pressing questions about the water taxi issue is what has happened to the $343 Million allocated for the service in the 2007 budget?

The government needs to tell the population whether the unspent money was returned to the consolidated fund. And if it was not, then in the interest of proper accountability and transparency, it should give the public a clear and full explanation of where that money was spent.

It would also seem clear that the based on the present situation, the vessels are going to arrive before 2010 at the earliest, unless there is some kind of deal negotiated or being negotiated to get used vessels.

Then the question would be at what price? And there is also the much touted "anti-corruption" clause that ostensibly killed the Bombardier deal for now.

Did the government get such a clause written in to the sale and purchase agreement?

There is also the pressing issue of infrastructure. Even if you could put the boat in the water overnight, it still requires the docking and other attendant facilities both in San Fernando and Port of Spain.

In November last year that only 21 piles had been driven into the seabed just off the wharf in San Fernando. So can the minister shed some light on the timeline for the construction?

From all appearances, the only water taxis Trinidad and Tobago will see in the next little while will be those navigating the floods all over the country this rainy season.

And the government should come clean and stop mamaguying the people and promising them what they know they can't deliver.