The T&T Spirit will be transporting cargo under 7,000 kg to Tobago while the Cabo Star is on its month-long dry docking examination, says Works Minister Rohan Sinanan.
Sinanan gave the assurance in the Senate yesterday, replying to queries from Opposition Senator Wade Mark. This, after the Cabo Star went to dry dock for its annual maintenance on Thursday. This is at the Caribbean Dockyard in Chaguaramas.
Sinanan said notice was given to stakeholders by the T&T Inter Island Ferry Service that the Cabo Star would have been dry docked between September 20 to 30 .
He said extra sailings of the Cabo Star were done on Saturdays between August 26 to September 15 for stakeholders to stock up and significant volumes were transported before the Cabo Star went on dry dock.
Also, the T&T Spirit was available to transport cargo under 7,000 kgs once the Cabo Star was dry docked. Sinanan said while the T&T Spirit was a passenger vessel, it will take bulk cargo up to that limit.
“This isn’t the first time the cargo vessel has gone for annual maintenance and stakeholders got ample notice of the Cabo Star’s absence,” Sinanan replied to Mark’s pressing on the issue of cargo transport.
Mark attempted to raise debate on the Cabo Star’s absence from the ferry service as a matter of urgent national importance. He said it was important since no substitute vessel was handling the cargo run and since people wishing to use the cargo ferry for the upcoming long Republic holiday weekend would be inconvenienced. Senate President Christien Kangaloo didn’t allow debate under the regulation on which Mark had based his request.
On other Opposition questions, Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat said National Quarries Ltd will soon be renewing some mining licences and the Estate Management Business Development Company will also be putting licences in place soon. Both had been operating without requisite mining licences.
Education Minister Anthony Garcia also told Mark that no decision has been taken for the University of T&T to enter any arrangement with Banner (Ellucian Student Information System) for an integrated computer management system and $45million has not been paid for any system.
Garcia said only exploratory talks are being held with Banner who’s been in T&T to evaluate/assess UTT’s current systems. Garcia said students’ records are handled separately to records from other UTT divisions and it was a cumbersome situation, prone to errors.