FOGO ISLAND TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE UPDATE
On August 3rd, 2021, at 7:00 pm the Fogo Island Transportation Committee held a meeting with Minister Bragg by teleconference and Management personnel, Bruce Pomeroy and Daphne Coles in attendance.
The urgency of addressing the increased volume of traffic is being relayed to Government Officials. Many topics were addressed with emphasis on Government providing a second Vessel immediately. The many other concerns i.e.: (additional trips, increased monitoring to ensure rules are adhered to, re-introduce the late trip on Thursday, implementation of priority boarding based on arrival to lineup, canteen service/ vending machines on vessel, and the introduction of a reservation system for approximately 80% of vessel capacity.
The devastating impact on our Island especially during our peak Tourism season will affect many businesses enormously. The larger employers such as the Fogo Island Coop and the Fogo Island Inn are affected immensely.
Additionally, our friends on Bell Island are encountering similar problems with one Vessel providing service in that area. We support the efforts of all Bell Island residents in their attempt to convince Government to provide a more adequate service. The unavailability of Vessels due to poor planning such as no new Vessels being built, refit scheduling, and mechanical issues are having much negative impact on our Islands.
Rest assured we will continue our lobbying efforts in attempt to convince Government to address the issues immediately.
Regards,
Fogo Island Transportation Committee
