A mechanical problem yesterday forced authorities at the Scarborough port to cancel all sailings of the T&T Express.This left hundreds of passengers who were on the island for the Easter holidays grounded as the T&T Spirit could not clear the backlog of passengers up to last evening.Several passengers were visibly upset when the Trinidad and Tobago Guardian visited the port yesterday.
Many of them were seated under trees while others were accommodated under two tents provided by the Port Authority.Some passengers first became aware of the situation when they turned up at the port before 5 am only to be told by officials that the first sailing of the T&T Express, scheduled for 6.30 am, was cancelled due to a mechanical problem.
No further explanation was given but they were promised they would be accommodated on the 10.30 am sailing of the T&T Spirit, which was bound from Port-of-Spain.The T&T Spirit subsequently departed Scarborough around 10.23 am and made a second trip from Tobago at 5 pm, the T&T Guardian was told.
However, while passengers from the 12 pm sailing of the T&T Express were accommodated on the 5 pm sailing of the T&T Spirit, there was no room for vehicles. As a result, persons with vehicles were left behind.A female passenger, who spoke on the grounds of anonymity, said many passengers were upset because no proper facilities, including chairs, were provided for them.
Mechanical problems cause delay in ferry service
She noted that many passengers were travelling with babies and small children. Information from officials at the Scarborough Port Authority was also slow.She added: "I have been standing here since 5 o'clock this morning and I have been up since 3 am because I came from Charlotteville and it is highly insensitive that the port did not see it necessary to organise at least chairs for people to sit on.
"What about mothers with children. What about the old people? We are just camping right now like crazy people because no one is telling us anything. "They made one announcement over the PA system and it was not even clear and when you ask the staff they seem not to know anything. This is very unprofessional."The number of sailings by the T&T Express and T&T Spirit were increased to accommodate the high influx of visitors over the Easter weekend.