Sea bridge crisis

Sea Bridge aka Ferry GateAn overview

Prepared by Darryl Bodkin

[email protected]

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Contents

• Responsible Parties

• Line of Communication

• Government Policy

• Historical Timeline

• Bridgeman’s Services Group – Cabo Star

• Bridgeman’s Services Group – Ocean Flower II

• Other comments

• Questions

• Discussion

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Responsible Parties

Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

• The Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (PATT) is a Statutory Authority which was established by Act 39 of 1961, known as the Port Authority Act, Chapter 51:01.

• The PATT is responsible for pursuing the interests of the state with respect to the Port, the inter-island ferry and other related matters.

• source: http://www.patnt.com/about.php?mid=2

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Responsible Parties cont’d

Ministry of Works and Transport

• The ministry responsible for the Port and the line ministry for the Port Authority (PATT)

• Source: http://www.mowt.gov.tt/general/category.aspx?categoryID=5

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Responsible Parties cont’d

Cabinet of Trinidad & Tobago

• The executive arm of the state, which is responsible for approving and/or rejecting decisions of the PATT

• Headed by the Prime Minister who as leader provides 'timing, tone & tempo'

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Line of Communication

PATT recommends a vessel to MOWT

MOWT via the Minister submits the

recommendation to Cabinet for approval

Cabinet approves or rejects the PATT

recommendation & gives any additional instruction

as they see fit.

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Government PolicyThe government announced that the 2015 manifesto was approved as government policy.

Therefore, the comparison would be made based on this policy aka manifesto.

Source: http://ctvtt.com/ctv/index.php/c-news/news/item/2304-pnm-manifesto-approved-as-official-government-policy

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Historical TimelineActivity Date Source Remarks

Lease of Super Fast

Galicia (SFG)

April 10, 2014 http://www.newsday.co.tt/n

ews/0,193191.html

Annual cost – 48 million TTD

Daily rate - 14,750 euros/

17435.02 usd

Month-to-Month lease

arrangement of Super-

Fast Galicia

Approximately

July 2015

http://www.trinidadexpress.c

om/20170401/news/galicia-

being-withdrawn-from-inter-

island-service

Why was a tender process wasn’t

initiated?

This information ought to have

been known to the new PATT

board & Minister by extension the

cabinet.

General Elections September 7,

2015

http://old.jamaica-

gleaner.com/extra/article.ph

p?id=4223

Appointment of Minister

of Works & Transport -

Fitzgerald Hinds

September 11,

2015

http://news.gov.tt/content/h

onourable-fitzgerald-hinds-

mp#.WZCVyFF97IU

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Historical Timeline cont’dActivity Date Source Remarks

Appointment of board of

the Port Authority of

Trinidad & Tobago (PATT)

October 1. 2015

(announcement)

http://www.trinidadexpress.

com/20151001/news/christi

ne-among-four-new-state-

agency-heads

Board led by Christine Sahadeo.

An experienced public servant.

Cabinet rejected 18 month

contract suggested by

PATT

Approx. April 27,

2016

http://www.trinidadexpress.

com/20170408/news/cabine

t-rejects-port-authority-

offer-to-renew-ferry-

contract

We still don’t know why. The

cabinet refuses to explain.

Sahadeo seemed to be at

loggerheads with management.

Appointment of Rohan

Sinanan as Min. of Works

& Transport

October 31, 2016 http://www.guardian.co.tt/n

ews/2016-10-31/new-

ministers-ready-prove-

themselves

Min. Hinds was transferred to Min.

of Public Utilities

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Owner of Vessel signal

the intent to withdraw

the Super Fast Galicia

January 25,

2017

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/2

0170408/news/cabinet-rejects-

port-authority-offer-to-renew-

ferry-contract

After many unsuccessful

attempts to come to a

resolution the owner made

clear intentions to leave the

market. Why did the cabinet

continue to hold their position

while not authorizing a tender.

Resignation of Sahadeo

led PATT board

February

22, 2017

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/2

0170330/news/sahadeo-in-the-

running-for-ceo-position-at-hdc

Some reports suggest that

Sahadeo & management were

not working well

Entire Sahadeo board

resigns

March 5,

2017

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2

017-03-14/former-patt-board-

member-we-were-constructively-

dismissed

Entire board collapsed. Strange

developments. We are not sure

if any attention is being paid to

the SFG

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Cabinet approved Allison

Lewis to lead PATT board

March 6, 2017 http://www.trinidadexpress.c

om/20170307/news/port-

gets-new-board

Lewis is an experienced public

servant.

Owner of Vessel signal

confirms intent to

withdraw the Super Fast

Galicia

April 1, 2017 http://www.trinidadexpress.c

om/20170401/news/galicia-

being-withdrawn-from-inter-

island-service

Approximately 2 months after

signaling an intention and there

being no resolution.

Minister Sinanan looks for

a solution

April 6, 2017 http://www.guardian.co.tt/ne

ws/2017-04-06/sinanan-

looks-solution

The era of promises & false hope

begins.

[Mr. Powell suggested a vessel

that could arrive by Mid may. In

addition, recommendation was

made that the Galicia be bought

by the state.

Minister suggested using Coast

Guard vessels.]11

Historical Timeline cont’d

Activity Date Source Remarks

Minister Sinanan

confident

April 19, 2017 http://www.trinidadexpress.

com/20170419/news/sinana

n-8216confident8217-govt-

will-find-seabridge-solution

PM Rowley noted that ‘ there is a

Port Authority board, a Minister of

Works and Transport and an

Attorney General to treat with the

imminent withdrawal of the Super-

Fast Galicia.’

Port to approach the

World Bank for capital to

purchase a ferry

April 27, 2017 http://www.guardian.co.tt/n

ews/2017-04-27/port-

approach-wbank-buy-new-

ferry

We aren’t sure of the status of this

statement.

One response to the tender for a

replacement was received by the

PATT and as such it was closed.

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Historical Timeline cont’d


Two vessels announced July 1, 2017 http://www.guardian.co.tt/

news/2017-06-30/tt-gets-

two-new-vessels-service-

seabridge

“The Cabo Star and Ocean Flower, leased

from Bridgemans Services Group of

Vancouver, Canada, at a daily cost of

US$22,500 (around TT$157,500) and

US$26,500 (TT$185,500)”

Note that we would hve been able to

keep the Galicia for 14000 euros/16509

USD for 5 years

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Bridgeman’s Services Group – Cabo Star


Cabo Star – sea trials July 20, 2017 http://www.guardian.co.t

t/news/2017-07-20/cabo-

star-makes-tobago-trial-

run-today

Cabo star deficient August 10, 2017 http://www.cnc3.co.tt/ne

ws/chamber-cabo-star-

deficient

Issues: Sailing time is 6hrs, AC isn’t

working, washrooms malfunction,

cabins unavailable to tuckers, cafeteria

not open.

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Bridgeman’s Services Group – Ocean Flower II


A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 1

July 11, 2017 https://www.tv6tnt.com/news/7pmnews/a-

gap-in-the-bridge-part-i/article_63495e72-

669c-11e7-becc-bfe17385f5ea.html

Ocean Flower break

down. PATT denies.

PATT response to

Bassant Part 1

July 13, 2017 http://www.looptt.com/content/port-

authority-corrects-inaccurate-report-new-

inter-island-vessels

A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 2


gap-in-the-bridge-part-ii/article_69547928-

6b51-11e7-9200-ffe95503947d.html

No inspections done.

PATT to respond

A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 3


gap-in-the-bridge-part-iii/article_b03fac82-

6c1d-11e7-9f7b-7f7ce18fa581.html

Apparently BSG is new to

the ferry business

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Bridgeman’s Serv. Grp – Ocean Flower II – cont’d


A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 4

July 20, 2017 https://www.tv6tnt.com/news

/7pmnews/a-gap-in-the-

bridge-part-

iv/article_50826158-6d04-

11e7-ae71-7b3850f5c22d.html

Information on the company is difficult

to verify.

A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 5



bridge-part-

v/article_91264290-6dba-

11e7-9364-

7b9b7d999c83.html

Bridgeman’s, owner of the Ocean Flower

Two and the Cabo Star, registered a

defunct company address in Estonia as

its forwarding address with the UN-run

International Maritime Organisation

A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 6



bridge-part-

vi/article_a3e81ff0-6e7a-11e7-

8384-b3f46fa3dfc6.html

Was the Terajet the first option being

considered to fill the sea-bridge gap for

passengers? Company not registered in

TT

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A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 7

July 24, 2017 https://www.tv6tnt.com/news/

7pmnews/a-gap-in-the-bridge-

part-vii/article_8c9cfe0c-70e0-

11e7-b79a-1397efc81268.html

Vessel experiencing ‘delays’

A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 8



part-viii/article_99474234-

73f6-11e7-9766-

1b725be9353d.html

Unanswered questions regarding

company location & directors

A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 9



part-ix/article_d81712e8-765b-

11e7-835c-b3433b36df57.html

Bassant/CCN TV6 breaks the news. The

vessel has defects.

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A Gap in the

Bridge – Part 10

August 8,

2017

https://www.tv6tnt.com/news


bridge-part-x-bridgeman-s-

financials/article_a661d082-

7ca3-11e7-a3e0-

7bd53212bb49.html

Summary of the issues raised

Contract with

Ocean Flower II

cancelled

August 9,

2017

http://www.trinidadexpress.co

m/20170809/news/the-ocean-

flower-ii-contract-has-been-

cancelled

http://www.cnc3.co.tt/news/p

ort-authority-opts-out-

contract-ocean-flower-2

Chief Engineer reports on defects. First

reported by Bassant/CCN TV6 on July 31.

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Other comments

• Comments regarding dredging are distractions since it is normal for a Port to be dredged. The PATT is required to conduct maintenance dredging regardless of which vessel is selected.

Information on maintenance dredging: http://www.ukmarinesac.org.uk/activities/ports/ph5_0_1.htm

http://dqm.usace.army.mil/Education/Index.aspx

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Questions

• Have we received leadership from the cabinet and the PATT with regards to this entire sea bridge saga?

• Why is the PATT and by extension the state secretive about the procurement process and information on the selected company, Bridgeman’s Services Group?

• Why was the Super Fast Galicia not retained? (What is the real reason since the current vessels cost more and are not better?)

• Did the state intentionally allow this matter to erupt in order to issue contracts to Trinity Offshore Supply and Tow Ltd for Trinity Transporter barge and the owner of the MV Provider?

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Questions

• What has been done regarding the alleged intention to sue the owner and broker of the Super Fast Galicia?

• Is the cabinet following government policy as highlighted earlier?

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Discussion

• There is a need for some independent, resourced and constitutionally empowered body to step in a situation like this and defend the public interest.

• In my view, this is a major breach of public trust and confidence

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Sea bridge crisis

Government & Nonprofit

Transcript of Sea bridge crisis