Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves during his recent call to the Issue At Hand program on Sunday, discussed setback to the nation’s hurricane relief efforts related to transportation.
Prime Minister Gonsalves while speaking on the program said that the fast ferry had been faced with technical issue with one of its engines, which would require fixing.
The Prime Minister said that in the meantime the services of the Bequia Express will be contracted to facilitate transport to the hurricane devastated grenadines islands.
“We had one little setback on the transport. The fast ferry engine, one of the engines conk out. We don’t know when that is going to be fixed, whether it’s going to be another week, two weeks, but arrangements have been made with Bequia Express and I’ve asked Benarva Browne to contact Admiral. I’d asked them before and I don’t know what happened there. So the difference of course, Bequia Express takes three and a half hours to get to Union, whereas the fast ferry takes an hour and a half.”
Prime Minister Gonsalves while speaking on the program made mention of possible alternative plans to have some of the transportation load lifted by fast ferries in Grenada.
“But what I did this morning, I was speaking with Dickon Mitchell, PM in Grenada. They have two fast ferries, private sector run them, one which is larger than the other. I’d asked Elvis who owns and operates the fast ferries. And Elvis said you’d have gotten in touch with Elvis, go to know to get in touch with the people who operate the ferries. Asked if when they go from Grenada to Carriacou, if they could come up, pick up some people in Union at different time, they may pass Mayreau or Canouan and come to St. Vincent and go down back. They don’t have to come five times a week. If I get them to come three times a week. But I spoke to Dickon Mitchell and he says, he’ll talk to the people for me.” The Prime Minister said.
In response to the effects of Hurricane Beryl on July 1st, the government contracted the Jaden Sun, known as the “Fast Ferry,” to provide complimentary weekday transportation between Kingstown and the Southern Grenadines for two weeks.
