T&T getting 4 new Water Taxis at a cost of $430M

Four new ferries built in Australia for the Trinidad and Tobago Water Taxi Service have been loaded for transportation to Port of Spain.

In a media release Monday, the National Infrastructure Development Company (NIDCO), which operates the service, said the vessels are expected in Trinidad in early September.

The boats - named the Calypso Sprinter, Trini Flash, Paria Bullet and the Carnival Runner - have a price tag of TT$430 million.

Each of the vessels can travel up to 37 knots and carry up to 405 passengers at a time. They will operate in the gulf of Paria between San Fernando and Port of Spain.

The new boats will have a double deck for passengers and will have a central kiosk to accommodate baggage and bikes.

The existing vessels in the Water Taxi fleet can each carry 149 persons and run at an average of 28 knots, completing the voyage between the two cities in about 55 minutes. The new boats will cut the travel time by more than 10 minutes.

NIDCO President Dr. Carson Charles noted that the previous government ordered the vessels but did not finalise the arrangements for the four boats to be commissioned and put into service. He said NIDCO is now looking after these issues.