Several years have passed since a cruise ship agent was based in Tobago, and the president of the Maxi Taxi Drivers and Owners Association, Cloyde Williams, is eager for a change.
The maxi taxi drivers are still owed money for transporting cruise ship passengers on tours provided through Carvalho’s Cruise Services. The issue gained attention on November 11th when over three hundred cruise ship passengers on board the Jewel of the Seas had their tours canceled due to a no-show of buses. The drivers claimed that the outstanding payments were from previous cruise ship seasons. However, Williams insists that the no-show was due to a shortage of buses and not a protest for outstanding payments.
He assured that they are working with the travel agent to settle their differences. In the meantime, there are no further reports of problems in meeting the demand of cruise ship passengers as vessels frequently visit Tobago. Williams attributes this to the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) allowing state-owned buses to be used. Over seventy cruise ships are expected for the 2023-2024 season.
