Tobago Correspondent
Toco boat operators are upset following a crackdown on pirogues making the one-hour trip to Tobago.
In a media release yesterday, the police said they had noticed a proliferation of online advertisements offering commercial charters from Toco to Tobago for this weekend’s Carnival.
An advertisement by Ocean Vybz with Zariah offers a one-day package that includes trips to Store Bay, Nylon Pool, Pigeon Point and No Man’s Land. Prices vary according to the number of passengers, with groups of ten paying $250 per person.
Police warned that many vessels offering the service are unlicensed and not equipped to carry passengers on the open sea. They said all vessels transporting passengers from Trinidad to Tobago must comply with the Motor Launches Act, Chapter 50:08, and the Shipping (Local Passenger Ships) Safety Regulations. Breaches carry severe penalties, including fines of up to $150,000 and ten years’ imprisonment.
“More importantly, these vessels pose a real danger to human life,” the TTPS said, noting that the channel between Toco and Tobago is notorious for strong swells and unpredictable currents.
The police said vessels operating as motor launches must have a valid licence issued by the Harbour Master. Captains and engineers must hold a valid licence or Certificate of Competency issued by the Board of Examiners, and vessels must not exceed their legal passenger capacity, as determined by a marine surveyor.
They warned that overcrowding is a summary offence, with each breach carrying a fine of $7,500 upon summary conviction. Licences may also be suspended, and operators disqualified from operating vessels.
Operators must keep official passenger and crew manifests and logbooks, and submit passenger counts to the Maritime Services Division and the Coast Guard before departure, police said.
Commercial launches must also carry certified bilge pumps, anchors, fire extinguishers, and the required number of approved lifebuoys and lifejackets.
But Chelsea-Ann Charles, a representative of Ocean Vybz with Zariah, questioned the timing of the crackdown. She said Toco boat operators had been making the trip for decades, comparing it to a family outing to Maracas Beach. Boats usually travel to Tobago for the Great Race or for a day on the island, she said.
“Toco people and Tobago people are like family. We so close, even though we’re apart. This is something that is traditional. It is nothing new, it is not dangerous,” she said.
Charles said operators take safety precautions, including providing lifejackets, medical kits and flotation devices, and using a sober, experienced captain. Passengers are also advised not to drink excessively so they can manage the trip, she said.
She said operators had received a surge of requests from people seeking to travel to Tobago for Carnival after flights and boat tickets became scarce during the peak period. The service had become so popular that international visitors from the US and Canada had also booked trips, she said.
“It is not like we doing something illegal; it is our sister island. It is just to go and have fun.
“It is not something they could get anywhere else. It encourages tourism as well.”
Charles said passengers also get a unique experience, with opportunities to see dolphins, turtles and flying fish.
Asked whether operators would proceed with their trips, Charles said they would abide by the law.
“It came as a shock to us that there is an issue now with all the stuff we need to implement. We put a hold on it, because the law is the law. We in the process of getting the requirements that they say we need.”
Meanwhile, Works and Infrastructure Minister Jearlean John urged the public to use authorised vessels to travel to Tobago for this weekend’s Carnival.
“People ought not to take those vessels. It seems there is a big demand to go to Tobago, but Port Authority is at full capacity and so has Caribbean Airlines (CAL) with the airbridge.”
