WRITTEN BY DON CAMPBELL

A strategic hub in the southern-most waters of the Caribbean, where trade lanes between the Americas and the great oceans of the World converge the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago is the bottle neck for the wealth and future of the island nation. We spoke with their Head of Marketing, Sandra Henry regarding some of the developments.

STAYING CONNECTED

Sandra reveals, “The company has been split into three

corporate entities, POSINCO Port of Spain Infrastructure

Company, Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and Trinidad

and Tobago Island Transport Company.”

Completely government owned and with approximately 142

hectares to work with 61 hectares used specifically for cargo

operations they are in the ideal position to make the decisions based

on the community and longevity of the port and not necessarily at a

corporate bottom line.

The Port has been the gateway to the capital of the Twin Island

of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for more than seventy years,

but was officially named the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago on

June 14th 1962.

What makes this of particular relevance is the natural harbour

on the sheltered north western coast of Trinidad, which makes the

Port of Port of Spain ideally positioned to service the major sea lanes

between the Americas, the islands of the Caribbean and the trading

links between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the Panama Canal.

The Port Of Port Of Spain (Ppos)The Port of Port of Spain (PPOS) is the cargo handling business

unit of the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and provides

berthing for international container vessels as well as towage

services, container freight services and warehousing, and a one stop

barrel shop for clearance and delivery of personal effects.

Security Of The PortUltimately the responsibility for ensuring the security of the Port

perimeter remains within the mandate of the Port Authority. Totally

compliant with the International Ship and Port Facilities Security

Code, the security for the Port is provided by the PAPD- The Port

Authority Police Department that consists of a cadre of professional

and dedicated men and woman who are always ready to protect the

assets and serve the people who work at and travel through the Port

facilities.

Security is a critical issue for any national gateway and the Port

Authority of Trinidad and Tobago is no different

“The Port Police Department has taken definitive measures to

ensure these challenges are overcome by ensuring that each officer

undergoes training that reflects modern international standards,”

Sandra tells us, “Officers are trained in the comprehensive areas of

Crime Scene Management, Cell Phone Forensics, E-mail analysis,

Cybercrime Identification and Crime Scene awareness.”

HSE DepartmentOne of the functions of the PATT is to ensure the safety, health and

welfare of their employees, contractors, the community and visitors

to the port. As part of their continuous commitment to employees

and stakeholders’ safety, they apply an effective HSE Management

system to all their operational activities.

The Port Authority HSE Department is guided by our clear

SAFETY POLICY which essentially serves as the “Constitution” for

HSE within their facilities. A dynamic, well trained unit committed to

the prevention of accidents and ill-health. Operating around the clock

they purview over a wide scope of responsibilities including training

and orientation, conduct and a regular self-evaluation of systems and

practises to keep them up to international standards..

Upkeep: $30 Million Upgrade To The T&T Express

The Ferry Service which is run by Trinidad and Tobago Inter

Island Transport Company (TTIT) has made great strides this year, in

fact according to, Port Authority Chairman Joseph Toney, they were

improving by “leaps and bounds.”

“The fleet includes the T&T Spirit, the T&T Express and the cargo

ferry—Warrior Spirit,” Toney said, “The important presence of these

ships are supported by the intelligent and careful scheduling so if any

are dry docked it is hardly missed.”

He went on to say, regarding the development,“In the past there

was usually a lot of backing up and congestion, complaints and so on.”

Close to $30 million was spent to refurbish the T&T Express in

2012, but the hefty bill was necessary to refurbish everything from

carpets, engines, air conditioned, air conditioned units, seats and

water jets.

PORT AUTHORITY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Located at Port of Port of Spain the capital of Trinidad and Tobago this port benefits from a multipurpose offering, including cargo handling, receipt, storage and delivery including containers, breakbulk, ro-ro, one-stop barrel shop, LCL, dry and liquid bulk, towage and dredging services. Outside of the heavy cargo and freight services they also cater for cruises ship reception facilities and the management of a crucial inter-island ferry service.

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Increased Ridership—1,2 Million Per YearMore people are choosing to ride the ferry than the 20-minute

flight to Tobago and thanks to a move to excel beyond mere customer

service, the ferries have carried on average 100, 000 per month.

Alongside passenger movement, over 200,000 cars were also

transported. According to Toney, the number of passengers and cars

improved by about 15 per cent from 2012, he said: “In 2013, we want

to do even better.”

August is usually the best month for travelling but in the history of

the service, there has never been such a high number of passengers.

For a long time people had preferred the flight from Trinidad to

Tobago but more people are turning to the fast ferry for its comfort

and better customer service.

Toney said while it was a good sign that people were switching to

the ferry as the PATT was still heavily subsidised by the Government.

“By about $200 million a year in fact, but transportation all over the

world is subsidised by government.” In 2013 the ticketing system

moved online and this trend will increase onwards into 2014.

The Navis InvestmentOne of the most prominent of investments was the $7 million into

the Navis SPARCS N4 software which has helped the PATT become

more efficient and paid itself off already. Toney said the system, which

is Internet-abled, allowed for more computerised planning by all

stakeholders.

“I think,” he says, “That sometimes the port gets an unfair tag

as being the delinquent party when there are delays. That is not

necessarily so.” he continues, “With the Navis system, what we have

found out is that there are a number of other individuals in the train—

customs agents, truckers, hauliers sometimes, who contribute to the

delay of goods either going on to a ship or coming from a ship and

going to a business place.”

Toney said while the port was trying its best with the system it

would sometimes “break down.” But he said, like any new system, it

has its snags, “All in all, the system has helped us to be more efficient.

We are calling on our stakeholders to make use of the system. It cost

us about $7 million, and $1 million annually to maintain. It is a huge

but worthwhile investment.”

Due to a number of developments beyond their control exports

into the Port have dropped, partly due to the corporate environment

in Trinidad and Tobago but also due to the limitation of space that he

Port of Port of Spain was able to offer.

With this in mind, Sandra reveals, they have initiated a number

of movements to increase the capacity space but razing unnecessary

sheds and constructions to make the best use of their offering.

“Our intention is to open up space,” she reveals, “To better serve

our customer’s needs.”

94 | Endeavour Magazine

PORT AUTHORITY OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

001 868 6232901

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