Published: Trinidad & Tobago Newsday – January 24, 2024
DAYS after the Prime Minister confirmed that Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Guyana are partnering in a ferry service between the three countries, private sector consortium Connect Caribe announced it plans to launch its own ferry service in the region by the end of this year.
Connect Caribe is holding discussions with the governments of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Barbados about the possibility of integrating their respective ferry services for the greater economic good of the Caribbean.
Consortium chairman Ambassador Dr Andre Thomas made this disclosure during a virtual news conference on January 23.
The conference was held to announce the launch of Connect Caribe and its proposed regional ferry service.
Asked whether the consortium was discussing with Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Barbados the possibility of integrating their respective ferry services, Thomas said, “We are in preliminary discussions and if I were to define them, exploratory discussions.”
The consortium, he continued, is looking at three vessels to operate its service.
These include an 800-passenger cruise ship, a 400-passenger fast ferry and a dedicated cargo vessel.
Thomas said the initiative which Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Barbados are exploring is a passenger and cargo service.
He reiterated that the service the consortium is exploring includes passengers, heavy cargo, light cargo and agricultural products.
Thomas said because the maritime transportation needs within the region are significant, there is no reason why there cannot be collaboration between different ferry services.
“There is room for more than one player.”
Thomas said the Trinidad and Tobago-Guyana-Barbados route was not one which the consortium was planning for its ferry service.
He identified Trinidad and Tobago, St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia, Dominica, Barbados, St Kitts & Nevis and Suriname as some of the proposed ports that the consortium's vessels would use as part of phase one of its operations.
Within those proposed ports, Thomas hinted that the cargo vessel which the consortium plans to acquire could include Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana as part of its route.
Reiterating that the consortium was open to collaboration with other players, Thomas said some maritime routes could be better managed by governments while others could be better handled by the private sector.
He recalled that when the consortium was launched 18 months ago, it studied various maritime transportation plans which had been proposed in the past.
"We discovered something very significant."
Thomas said those various studies suggested that if the right system to move passengers, cargo and agricultural products could be found, it may be possible to boost regional gross domestic product (GDP) by five per cent over a five-year period.
Focusing only on food imports, Thomas said an efficient regional ferry service could reduce the need for the Caribbean to rely on extra-regional food imports and cut the annual food importation bill which is estimated at US$8 billion.
He asked people to consider the alternative uses of this kind of expenditure if the Caribbean countries could import most of their food from within the region.
Thomas said to achieve the objective of an efficient regional ferry service, a consortium of some key players in various sectors of the maritime industry needed to be assembled.
The consortium consists of seven joint venture partners: Upturn Funds (Caribbean and New York), Pleion Group Inc, Windward Ferries, Ramps Logistics, JS Cruises and Tours, Maritime Institute of Barbados and Anthony Hinkson consultancy.
Connect Caribe has four divisions: ferry, cargo, travel and e-commerce.
These divisions are run by Windward Ferries, Ramps Logistics, JS Cruises and Tours and Anthony Hinkson consultancy respectively.
In terms of financing the venture, Thomas said the consortium is currently in the first rounds of talks with different financial institutions.
He estimated it could cost approximately US$50 million to launch phase one of the consortium's ferry service.
Asked about potential fares which passengers could pay on this service, Thomas said the group was working with an estimated figure of US$100 per passenger.
He added this was not the actual figure and the exact fare will be determined in due course.
Thomas also estimated that phase one of the consortium's operations could see the creation of at least 270 jobs.
Windward Ferries managing director Tore Torsteinson said in addition to the movement of passengers and cargo, the three vessels which Connect Caribe will operate can serve to bring relief supplies to different parts of the Caribbean in the event of a natural disaster.
Torsteinson added that through working on the consortium's vessels, regional seafarers could get the necessary training and certification which could advance their careers in the maritime industry.
JS Cruises and Tours CEO Judean Scantlebury was excited about the prospects of the service to increase the numbers of tourists travelling to different parts of the region.
At the opening of the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate in Pt Lisas on January 10, Dr Rowley said Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and Barbados have been discussing the establishment of a regional cargo ferry service between the three countries.
The idea of a ferry service between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana was discussed during a three-day Agri Investment Forum in Guyana from May 19-21, 2022.
The issue was one of several which was contained in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at that forum between Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana at that time.
Rowley said, "This is a decision which is driven by the need to move raw materials and fresh produce from the producing areas to the consumption and manufacturing areas within this sub-zone of Caricom (Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Barbados).”
He saw economic benefits arising out of this initiative.
“The outcome of such a transportation service can only improve our food security, stimulate production across the region, create jobs and support affordable prices of the many agricultural products, which we desire at our tables and in our hotels.”
He added that once this happens, Works and Transport Minister Sinanan has been advised to make the Galleons Passage ready to participate in this system.
Commissioned on October 8, 2018, the Galleons Passage is classified as a Catamaran RoRo passenger ferry, according to Lloyd’s Register Rules and Regulations for Classification of Special Service Craft.
The vessel can accommodate 400 passengers and 60 cars. On board facilities include a cafeteria, a bar and a VIP lounge.
Speaking to the media during an inspection of road repairs at Macaulay overpass on January 14, Sinanan said the use of the Galleons Passage for the proposed service will not impact negatively on the domestic seabridge.
“Right now we have five vessels working between Trinidad and Tobago. We have a cargo vessel (Cabo Star) and four passenger vessels (Galleons Passage, APT James, APT Buccoo Reef, TT Spirit).”
Sinanan said, “At any point in time, two of the vessels are down, meaning there are no passengers to move on four ferries.”
He reminded the media that the Galleons Passage came to Trinidad and Tobago in October 2018 when there were no proper ferries operating on the seabridge.
“Since then we have gotten two brand new ferries (APT James, APT Buccoo Reef). The idea was never to keep four passenger ferries operating between Trinidad and Tobago. We just don’t have the capacity for that.”
Sinanan said because of this, there is the option to use the Galleons Passage as an interim vessel to start the ferry service.
The announcement of these two new ferry services comes as regional airline Liat ended its operations on Monday with its last flight arriving in Antigua.
Liat began its operations in 1974.