Building on the strengths of infrastructure
INVESTMENT IS ALWAYS NEEDED TO KEEP THE TRANSPORT NETWORK UP TO THE DEMANDS OF THE MODERN WORLD, FROM AIRPORTS TO HIGHWAYS AND PORTS

A BRAND NEW terminal building and new high-speed taxiways help facilitate passenger journeys at Trinidad’s international airport

Infrastructure in Trinidad and Tobago is among the best in the Caribbean, with much of it first created during the oil boom of the 1970s.
But the demands of a modern, thriving economy mean that more investment is always needed. As the economy prepares for diversification into IT, tourism and finance, the government has undertaken to spend $1-2 billion to transform the nation’s airports, seaports and highways.

“No country in Latin America is as stable as Trinidad and Tobago,” says Minister of Works and Transport Franklin Khan. “So there are a lot of companies who could put their Latin American headquarters in Trinidad and be just as effective as if they were in Caracas.
“If we develop a proper air/sea link, Trinidad can become the gateway to the whole continent. The country’s unique position and up-to-date infrastructure will allow it to become a transshipment hub between North and South America.”

The most important changes have been to the country’s airports, both run by the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (AATT). Crown Point Airport in Tobago is more focused on tourism. It recently became an international airport with direct flights from the U.K. and the U.S. A $12 million upgrade will make it more pleasant for tourists, by expanding terminal capacity.

LINUS ROGERS Chairman of the Airports Authority of Trinidad and Tobago

One of the country’s most expensive infrastructure investments has just been completed at Piarco International Airport, 35 minutes from Port of Spain. A brand new terminal building opened in May 2001, and high-speed taxiways were also built to get aircraft off the runways more quickly. The total cost was $400 million.

“The new design allows a passenger to get from the plane to the curbside quicker with much less hassle and discomfort,” says Linus Rogers, Chairman of the AATT. “We increased the number of aircraft that we can bring in within a particular hour, enabling us to defer building a new runway, maybe for the next ten to 15 years.”
Fresh challenges now lie ahead. “There is a tendency for Caribbean airports to have peak periods for international flights early in the morning or late in the afternoon. We need to attract new airlines to spread the flights throughout the day,” says Mr. Rogers.

The airport modernization has opened up new trade opportunities, which the airport chief is keen to seize. “We want to create a cargo hub that includes a large cold storage and dry goods storage area. Trinidad can become a transshipment center for fresh fish exported from South America to the U.S. and Canada,” he says.
“By 2020 we will have a second runway to be used for carrying cargo to a large, fully-equipped cargo facility offering cheap fuel. We hope to attract major cargo companies like DHL, UPS and FedEx to use our hub as their base in the South American and Caribbean region.”

The investment program has also enabled refits at both of Trinidad’s main ports. Point Lisas, a private industrial port focused on the export of methanol and urea, is implementing a $25 million expansion program to enable larger cargo vessels to use its facilities. Port of Spain Harbor has also been recently modernized as a transshipment point for Latin America and as a cruise ship destination. It is due to be privatized in 2004.
In addition money is being spent to improve internal transport links. Soon the 4.5-hour journey from one end of Trinidad to the other will be cut by as much as a half.
“It is not like building a highway through the Amazon jungle. It is about traffic management on a modern road network. Due to the high standard of living we have an inordinate amount of cars,” says the Minister of Works and Transport.