Transport in Trinidad and Tobago
Encyclopedia
Trinidad and Tobago
, a Caribbean
country which relies heavily on industrialisation
and tourism
, has various transport
systems. Trinidad
is the larger island, with a business-oriented economy and the seat of the country's government and Piarco International Airport
, the country's major airport. A smaller number of international flights from fly directly to Tobago
's Crown Point Airport
. There is also a small airfield name Camdem Airfield in Couva.mainly used for cropdusting planes.
service (known as the Public Transport Service Corporation
, or PTSC), privately owned mini-buses (locally known as maxi-taxis), as well as privately owned car
s. Maxi-taxis and some cars carry passengers along fixed route
s for a fixed fare, although cars are slightly more expensive for similar routes carried by maxi-taxis because of their much smaller passenger capacities. Travellers can also negotiate with car taxi
drivers to go "off-route" for short distances for an additional charge if one's destination is not exactly on the car taxi's route. Car taxis are not allowed to utilise the Priority Bus Route, however, and as such maxi-taxis and buses are preferable for speedily entering and exiting the cities (especially Port of Spain
) during rush hour (7am-9am and 4pm-6pm).
In Port of Spain all maxi-taxis and buses heading out of the city are centrally housed in the transportation hub known as "City Gate
". In all other locations and for Port of Spain Intra-city transportation, taxi-stands are scattered at various streets of the town or region, and after sunset some of these taxi-stands may change location, although this changed location is also fixed. Recently there has also been a growth in popularity of American-style taxi-cabs which do not work along a fixed route and the can be booked for specific times for specific journeys.
operate between Port of Spain
and Scarborough
. Cars can be brought onto the ferries and kept in the cargo
areas. Ferries run daily, Sundays to Sunday (less sailings on the weekend). The ferries are inexpensive, in spite of the minimum 2½–3 hour travel time between Port of Spain and Scarborough.
Passengers fares are (prices in TT dollars):
Fast Ferry (One Way) Adult: $50 Child: $25 Minor: $0
Fast Ferry (Return) Adult: $100 Child: $50 Minor: $0
Conventional Ferry (One Way) Adult: $37.50 Child: $18.75 Minor: $0
Conventional Ferry (Return) Adult: $75 Child: $37.50 Minor: $0
Conventional Ferry (One Way) CABIN Adult: $80.00 Child: N/A Minor: N/A
Conventional Ferry (Return) CABIN Adult: $160.00 Child: N/A Minor: N/A
Fast Ferries - T&T Express, T&T Spirit,
Conventional - Warrior Spirit
Because of the ferries' popularity, many people book their ferry trip well in advance.
A Water Taxi service
was started in December 2008. Using the water taxi people can travel from Port of Spain
to San Fernando
which cost TT $15.00 one way and TT $30.00 return. It only takes about 50 minutes to 1 hour between the two cities by utilizing this service according. There are currently three(3) vessels:H.C. Olivia,H.C. Milancia and H.C. Katia. There are currently orders for four new vessels which are being built and would be handed over mid to late 2010.They have now arrived named: Carnival Runner,Calypso sprinter,Paria Bullet and the Trini Flash
Schedules are available at http://www.patnt.com/ferry_schedule.shtml for the Trinidad to Tobago ferry
railway system near San Fernando
, but the Trinidad Government Railway
that was built while Trinidad and Tobago was a colony of the United Kingdom
was gradually scaled back until it was discontinued in 1968. (The narrow-gauge
agricultural railroad was shut down in the late 1990s).
On April 11, 2008 the Trinitrain consortium announced it would plan and build 105 km two line Trinidad Rapid Railway
. The new railways are needed to overcome growing road congestion. This project was cancelled in September 2010.
s:
total:
8,320 km
paved:
8,320 km
unpaved:
0 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum
products 19 km; natural gas
904 km
Ports and harbour
s:
Pointe-à-Pierre
, Point Fortin
, Point Lisas
, Port of Spain
, Scarborough
, Tembladora
Merchant marine:
total:
2 ships ( or over) totaling /
ships by type: (1999 est.)
Airport
s:
6 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
3
over 3,047 m:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
3
914 to 1,523 m:
1
under 914 m:
2 (1999 est.)
(Transportation information from the CIA World Handbook.)
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
, a Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
country which relies heavily on industrialisation
Industrialisation
Industrialization is the process of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial one...
and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, has various transport
Transport
Transport or transportation is the movement of people, cattle, animals and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water, cable, pipeline, and space. The field can be divided into infrastructure, vehicles, and operations...
systems. Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
is the larger island, with a business-oriented economy and the seat of the country's government and Piarco International Airport
Piarco International Airport
Piarco International Airport is the main airport serving Trinidad and Tobago located in Piarco, a town in northern Trinidad, about east of the capital city, Port of Spain. It is one of two international airports serving the twin isle republic. The other is located on the island of Tobago, A.N.R...
, the country's major airport. A smaller number of international flights from fly directly to Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
's Crown Point Airport
Crown Point Airport
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson International Airport is an international airport located on the island of Tobago. It is located at the southwesternmost part of the island, near the town of Canaan, and from the capital, Scarborough. It is one of two international airports serving the twin isle...
. There is also a small airfield name Camdem Airfield in Couva.mainly used for cropdusting planes.
Public Transport
Public transport is provided by a government-run busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
service (known as the Public Transport Service Corporation
Public Transport Service Corporation
The Public Transport Service Corporation or better known as PTSC is the state-owned bus provider for Trinidad and Tobago. Its headquarters are at City Gate in Port of Spain . Passengers have to buy the tickets at a ticket booth and show it to the driver. The fares vary with distance...
, or PTSC), privately owned mini-buses (locally known as maxi-taxis), as well as privately owned car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
s. Maxi-taxis and some cars carry passengers along fixed route
Route
Route may refer to:* Route or thoroughfare for transportation* Route number or road number*Trade route, a commonly used path for the passage of goods*Scenic route, a thoroughfare designated as scenic based on the scenery through which it passes...
s for a fixed fare, although cars are slightly more expensive for similar routes carried by maxi-taxis because of their much smaller passenger capacities. Travellers can also negotiate with car taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
drivers to go "off-route" for short distances for an additional charge if one's destination is not exactly on the car taxi's route. Car taxis are not allowed to utilise the Priority Bus Route, however, and as such maxi-taxis and buses are preferable for speedily entering and exiting the cities (especially Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
) during rush hour (7am-9am and 4pm-6pm).
In Port of Spain all maxi-taxis and buses heading out of the city are centrally housed in the transportation hub known as "City Gate
City Gate (Port of Spain)
City Gate is the main terminal for the buses and maxi taxis in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the former Trinidad Government Railway terminal on South Quay. It is slated to serve as the terminal for the proposed rapid rail system....
". In all other locations and for Port of Spain Intra-city transportation, taxi-stands are scattered at various streets of the town or region, and after sunset some of these taxi-stands may change location, although this changed location is also fixed. Recently there has also been a growth in popularity of American-style taxi-cabs which do not work along a fixed route and the can be booked for specific times for specific journeys.
Ferry Service
FerriesFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
operate between Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
and Scarborough
Scarborough, Tobago
Scarborough, Tobago is the largest town in Tobago, one of the two main islands of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Its population is around 17,000, almost one-third of the population of the island. The town is dominated by Fort King George, an 18th century fortification named after King George...
. Cars can be brought onto the ferries and kept in the cargo
Cargo
Cargo is goods or produce transported, generally for commercial gain, by ship, aircraft, train, van or truck. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.-Marine:...
areas. Ferries run daily, Sundays to Sunday (less sailings on the weekend). The ferries are inexpensive, in spite of the minimum 2½–3 hour travel time between Port of Spain and Scarborough.
Passengers fares are (prices in TT dollars):
Fast Ferry (One Way) Adult: $50 Child: $25 Minor: $0
Fast Ferry (Return) Adult: $100 Child: $50 Minor: $0
Conventional Ferry (One Way) Adult: $37.50 Child: $18.75 Minor: $0
Conventional Ferry (Return) Adult: $75 Child: $37.50 Minor: $0
Conventional Ferry (One Way) CABIN Adult: $80.00 Child: N/A Minor: N/A
Conventional Ferry (Return) CABIN Adult: $160.00 Child: N/A Minor: N/A
Fast Ferries - T&T Express, T&T Spirit,
Conventional - Warrior Spirit
Because of the ferries' popularity, many people book their ferry trip well in advance.
A Water Taxi service
Water Taxi Service (Trinidad and Tobago)
Water Taxi Service operate in the Trinidadian cities as an alternate form of transportation to and from Port of Spain and San Fernando.-Expansion:Water Taxis expansion is under construction for terminals at Chaguanas, Point Fortin, and Point Cumana....
was started in December 2008. Using the water taxi people can travel from Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
to San Fernando
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
which cost TT $15.00 one way and TT $30.00 return. It only takes about 50 minutes to 1 hour between the two cities by utilizing this service according. There are currently three(3) vessels:H.C. Olivia,H.C. Milancia and H.C. Katia. There are currently orders for four new vessels which are being built and would be handed over mid to late 2010.They have now arrived named: Carnival Runner,Calypso sprinter,Paria Bullet and the Trini Flash
Schedules are available at http://www.patnt.com/ferry_schedule.shtml for the Trinidad to Tobago ferry
Railways
There is a minimal agriculturalAgriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
railway system near San Fernando
San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago
The City of San Fernando with a population of 55,419 according to the 2000 census, is the larger of Trinidad and Tobago's two cities and the second largest municipality after Chaguanas. It occupies 18 km² and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad...
, but the Trinidad Government Railway
Trinidad Government Railway
The Trinidad Government Railway existed between 1876 and 28 December 1968. Originally built to connect Port of Spain with Arima, the railway was extended to Couva in 1880, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago in 1882, Cunapo in 1897, Tabaquite in 1898, Siparia in 1913 and Rio Claro in...
that was built while Trinidad and Tobago was a colony of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
was gradually scaled back until it was discontinued in 1968. (The narrow-gauge
Minimum gauge railway
Minimum gauge railways have a gauge of less than or , most commonly , , or . The notion of minimum gauge railways was originally developed by estate railways and by the French company of Decauville for industrial railways....
agricultural railroad was shut down in the late 1990s).
On April 11, 2008 the Trinitrain consortium announced it would plan and build 105 km two line Trinidad Rapid Railway
Trinidad Rapid Railway
The Trinidad Rapid Railway was a proposed passenger railway system in Trinidad and Tobago.-Project:On April 11 2008 the TriniTrain consortium of Alstom Transport SA, Alstom T&T Ltd, Bouygues Construction and RATP Développement announced it had been selected by the government to plan and build two...
. The new railways are needed to overcome growing road congestion. This project was cancelled in September 2010.
Statistics
HighwayHighway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
s:
total:
8,320 km
paved:
8,320 km
unpaved:
0 km (1996 est.)
Pipelines:
crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
products 19 km; natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
904 km
Ports and harbour
Harbor
A harbor or harbour , or haven, is a place where ships, boats, and barges can seek shelter from stormy weather, or else are stored for future use. Harbors can be natural or artificial...
s:
Pointe-à-Pierre
Pointe-à-Pierre
Pointe-à-Pierre is a town in Trinidad and Tobago. It lies north of San Fernando and south of Claxton Bay. It is most famous as the site of the country's largest oil refinery which is run by Petrotrin, the state-owned oil company....
, Point Fortin
Point Fortin
Point Fortin, the smallest Borough in Trinidad and Tobago, is located in southwestern Trinidad, about southwest of San Fernando. After the discovery of petroleum in the area in 1906 the town grew into a major oil-producing centre. The town grew with the oil industry between the 1940s and 1980s,...
, Point Lisas
Point Lisas
Point Lisas is the site of the Point Lisas Industrial Estate and the Port of Point Lisas, both of which are managed by Plipdeco...
, Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, Scarborough
Scarborough, Tobago
Scarborough, Tobago is the largest town in Tobago, one of the two main islands of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Its population is around 17,000, almost one-third of the population of the island. The town is dominated by Fort King George, an 18th century fortification named after King George...
, Tembladora
Merchant marine:
total:
2 ships ( or over) totaling /
ships by type: (1999 est.)
- cargo shipCargo shipA cargo ship or freighter is any sort of ship or vessel that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year; they handle the bulk of international trade...
1 - petroleum tanker 1
Airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s:
6 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total:
3
over 3,047 m:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1
1,524 to 2,437 m:
1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total:
3
914 to 1,523 m:
1
under 914 m:
2 (1999 est.)
(Transportation information from the CIA World Handbook.)
External links
- Public Transport Service Corporation
- The Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
- The Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority
- Travel & Transportation - Getting Around Tobago - The Department of Tourism, Tobago House of Assembly