According to the Saint Lucia Air and Sea Ports Authority (SLASPA), Caribbean Travel Movement has not been granted authorization to dock in Saint Lucia as part of an inter-island ferry service.
The business announced on Thursday that a weekly boat service will begin between Saint Vincent and Saint Lucia in January 2023.
According to SLASPA, which manages the island’s two major seaports, Castries and Vieux Fort, as well as its airports, no approval has been granted to a Vincentian company to dock in Saint Lucia as part of a ferry service connecting the two islands.
A top SLASPA official told Loop News, “We have no knowledge of this. As far as we know, the company made inquiries regarding logistics, etc., but there was no confirmation or agreement, so this is news to us.”
The inexpensive service will begin in the second week of January, according to Caribbean Travel Movement, and will provide a much-needed transit link between the two islands.
Originally, the service between Kingstown and Castries was to be provided by the Bequia Express.
However, on Friday Caribbean Travel Movement issued a second statement containing a ‘clarification’ stating that it has been “in discussions with Bequia Express and a few other service providers for the charter service early next year.”
This declaration followed Bequia Express’s desire to sever ties with Caribbean Travel Movement.
As our travels are mostly private, we are currently in the planning stages and have issued a preliminary announcement to gauge public interest.
“We were unaware that extra documentation, etc., would be required by the government or any other party if the travels were to occur weekly. Even this morning’s calls to both agencies reaffirmed that we do not require more papers at this time,” the company added.
