New ferry service between Guyana,Trinidad, Barbados to begin shortly

Trinidad and Tobago: The Galleons Passage vessel will soon provide a ferry service between Guyana and Trinidad. Prime Minister Keith Rowley said that the service would also be extended to Barbados later.

While speaking at the Phoenix Park Industrial Estate last week in Pt Lisas, he said that Galleons Passage will be able to carry some 400 passengers and 60 cars. A ferry trip from Georgetown, Guyana, to Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, would take about 24 hours.

The service will include different onboard facilities for the passengers, including a cafeteria, a bar, and a VIP lounge.

PM Rowley said the ferry service will also cater to the frequent requirements to move raw materials and fresh produce from the production areas to the manufacturing and consumption areas within this sub-zone of the CARICOM.

Trinidad and Tobago's Prime Minister also mentioned that the country will be witnessing economic benefits from this initiative.

"The outcome of such a transportation service will only improve food security, stimulate production across the Caribbean region, create jobs and support reasonable prices of several agricultural products, which one wants at the tables and in the hotels," he further emphasized.

The development was also confirmed by the President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali, who took to Facebook on January 14 and said, "Trinidad's Galleons Passage, which will be operating between Guyana and Trinidad and later Barbados." "The vessel can accommodate 400 passengers and 60 cars. Onboard facilities include a cafeteria, a bar and a VIP lounge," he added.

https://twitter.com/presidentaligy/status/1746675142162371045

Commissioned in 2018, the Galleons Passage vessel is classified as a Catamaran RoRo passenger ferry and is one of the five vessels which are used for domestic seabridge.

Should the Galleons Passage be one of the vessels being used in the Trinidad and Tobago-Guyana-Barbados ferry service, it remains to be seen how often it will be utilised there, if it will still operate on the sea bridge or if another ferry will take its place.

Notably, several Caribbean citizens lauded this decision through social media and said that it was a great initiative.

A user named Akenna Kublal said, "Once operated safely, this is an excellent initiative for all countries and, by extension, the wider Caribbean region; hopefully in time, there can be a ferry service to connect all CARICOM countries and make visiting other neighbouring islands more accessible and affordable to the average citizens." "Wow, that's awesome. Keep up the great work; I will be going on that trip for sure. Enjoy every minute of it," wrote another user, Maria.