Our seaports are in a mess- John I. Cline
This he did on his CBN Channel 51 television talk show ‘Cross Talk’ on February 4, 2017. His guest was former President of the Virgin Islands Party (VIP) and prominent businessman Carvin Malone.
“Right now, if you book a ticket from the BVI to New York and then book the same ticket from St Thomas to New York, the ticket from BVI to New York is going to cost you four to five hundred dollars more than if you pay $50 to go to St Thomas by the boat and fly out,” said Mr Cline.
He further argued that the seaports here become more attractive because of cost. “Now I know there is a lot of talk about the airport …that’s not tonight’s discussion,” he added
Over the past year Cline said he has been trying to lend his voice to the discussion of the seaport investment possibility as he recalled one time allegedly calling Premier and Minister of Finance Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith from one of the seaports on Tortola. “Because the line was so long and the people were standing in the sun after getting up four o’clock in the morning to travel to the BVI, to get to the BVI four hours later in the afternoon and have this long long line….”
“Whether they get an airport or not I believe the seaport needs to be fixed because it’s a mess,” Cline expressed as he proceeded to show footage of long lines at the Road Town Ferry dock taken on February 4, 2017.
“So our ports are in desperate need of developing in order to enhance our tourism product and it seems like, and this is just from where I sit, this is like after two years when I called the Premier to address this matter…..What is it we must do in order to fix this problem, because it is going to affect us you know…because people don’t have to come to the BVI, but they would love to come but they don’t have to come.”
Seaports being used more than ever
Weighing in on the discourse, Mr Malone said that one has to come to the realisation that the seaports are being used more than ever before, with the primary reason being the cost effectiveness and the unavailability of certain airlines.
“The traffic coming through the seaports is just tremendous,” with Cline interjecting to ask why is it taking so long to fix both West End and Road Town ports.
The corrective measure was described as a low-lying fruit that is taking too long to be picked. It was also suggested that a shed be built over the existing pier that is there for when it rains.
“It would not cost a tremendous amount because unless we go in the eight digit we don’t think it’s necessary. We don’t have to go into the eight digits. We can do it as a low-lying fruit. We can get that area fixed,” Mr Malone said.
As the discourse zeroed in directly on the West End dock and striking the importance of a proper welcome sign, Malone said, “Gilligan’s Island has it place,” with Cline adding, “We are not a third world country, no matter what people say, we should not think like it and our ports of entry should not look like it.”
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38 Responses to “Our seaports are in a mess- John I. Cline”
Careful that they don't find another way to fire you again.
I am so turned off by some other Islands with their glitzy glassy ports and airports but seeing where the locals are living and what they are surviving in,brings tears to my eyes.a and dulls my happjness monitor.
Common Sense ,if you spend 50 million more on the cruise pier project under whose watch,we could have built ten more seaports,talk about that Cline stop picking sh** to talk about, let's start that dialogue