Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, stated in a social media post on Sunday night that Trinidad’s Galleons Passage 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.
For years, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) has prioritised solving intra-regional transportation issues. With the renewed emphasis on ensuring the region’s food security, resolving this issue is also a priority.
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) announced last year that it will fund consultancy services for a study on the prospects for establishing a new shipping route across Barbados, Grenada, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.
President Ali stated in October, during the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum in Guyana, that the African Export Import (Afrexim) Bank is interested in supporting a Caribbean private sector proposal for an intra-regional system that would allow for cheaper transportation of goods and people by sea. As a result, he pushed area private sector companies to create a consortium and begin work on the project.
