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Chief Secretary Farley Augustine (centre) sits on one of the new e-bikes donated by the US. Looking on at the hand-over ceremony at the Shirvan Road Police Station on Monday are acting CoP McDonald Jacob, Charge D’Affaires at the US Embassy, Port of Spain Shante Moore, Sgt Samuel Quamina, Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds, acting ACP Daniel Moore, Amcham president Toni Sirju-Ramnarine, and chief administrator Ethlyn John. Photo courtest the Tobago House of Assembly

THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine has appealed to police officers of the Tourism Oriented Police Section (TOPS) to take care of their new electric bicycles.

On Monday, 12 e-bikes and one solar-powered electric bicycle charging station, valued $61,200, were donated by the US Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) also donated a charging station valued $9,000.

At the handing-over ceremony at the Shirvan Road Police Station, Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said the common threat to tourism is crime, and Tobago is neither exempt from the dangers nor immune from the potential threats.

He said with the bikes, the officers would be able to discharge their duties much more efficiently.

“Take very good care of these vehicles. In fact, take excellent care of these bicycles. Treat them as your very own, treat them as you would if you had made the investments yourself, see them as being vital to the development of the tourism sector on the island.”

The sentiments were echoed by Minister of National Security Fitzgerald Hinds who said he was pleased to be part of the handing over which, he said, will not only enhance the work of the section, but the range, the speed in response, the visibility, and also the presence of the unit.

“Keep it whole, treat it respectfully, and that need not be restated.

He added that the officers’ personal health is also important.

“Though the bikes can do 20 and 25 miles per hour, though the bikes have about a 40-mile range on a charge before they need to be recharged, though they give you accessibility on hilly terrains, your personal fitness is critical.

“I urge you, for your own sakes, for the sake of the police service, most of all for those you have to serve, take good care of yourselves. Eat well, rest well when you get the opportunity to do that, and altogether continue to make the contributions that you must on making TT a more wholesome and safer place.”

Acting Police Commissioner Mc Donald Jacob said the donation of the bikes has coincided with the recent rollout of a directed patrol policy as outlined in the operational plan 2020-2024. The police service, he said, will activate all the various patrol mechanisms.

“Under this patrol policy, the main districts in Tobago would be zoned for mobile patrols, and the grid system currently adopted by the Traffic and Highway Patrol Branch in Trinidad will be replicated with adjustments which are unique to Tobago.

“This system is expected to provide the safety and security that is necessary across the island of Tobago.”

He said the island’s road policing and mobile patrol capacity has been enhanced with an additional four new vehicles within the recent weeks, four new motorcycles, and newly-trained cyclists. The donation of the bikes, he said, will add to the patrol arsenal on the island.

“I urge the officers of the Tourism Oriented Police Section to put their new bicycles to use. Work hard and keep the safety and security of the residents and visitors at the front burner in making the efforts to ensure that we are safe in Tobago.”

Amcham president Toni Sirju-Ramnarine said the introduction of the solar charging bikes is expected to contribute significantly to the fight against crime, while incorporating technology.

“The deployment of these e-bikes serves multiple purposes in crime prevention and the police response to criminal activities. Citizens can feel assured of better engagement with their law enforcement officers in their communities, to increase neighbourhood patrols as well as these e-bikes will help law enforcement officers to move more efficiently in the spaces where vehicles would be more cumbersome or dangerous to respond.”

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Health, Wellness, and Elderly Affairs Minister Moses Jn Baptiste has told reporters that Saint Lucia remains ‘very vigilant’ for the monkeypox virus and hopes what occurred in Jamaica does not happen here.

Although Saint Lucia has to date not recorded any cases of the virus, Jamaica recently confirmed its first monkeypox case.

But according to local reports, the man escaped from the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon on Saturday by jumping through a window and boarding a waiting car.

Police and health officials later found him and returned him to isolation.

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“We are continuing to be very vigilant and we are hoping we don’t see a repeat of what happened in Jamaica. Clearly we will certainly have to look at our systems again,” Saint Lucia’s Health Minister told reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Cabinet on Monday.

According to Jn Baptiste, the authorities have isolated one section of the respiratory hospital to deal with suspected monkeypox cases.

“We have the space the personnel and we have a secure location,” he explained.

The Minister indicated that not only Carnival but ‘so many other social events happening around Saint Lucia’ underscored the need for continued vigilance.

“We continue to ask individuals to be very cautious and to visit their medical professionals as soon as any symptoms appear,” he said.

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Varias explosiones y posteriores incendios se registraron esta mañana en una subestación ubicada cerca del pueblo de Jayuya.  

Cerca de la subestación afectada se encuentran varias residencias y negocios. Los vecinos del lugar reportaron que la explosión se sintió como si estallara un avión.

“Todo el pueblo está sin luz. Hasta el momento LUMA no ha llegado a las instalaciones” explica el alcalde de Jayuya. Según dijo el Ejecutivo Municipal en entrevista radial con RADIO ISLA, la explosión ocurrió a eso de las 5:56 de la mañana.

“Nadie sabe lo que tiene hasta que lo pierde. Antes se nos iba la luz y rápido legaba gente de la AEE. Ahora se nos va la luz por la tarde y hay que esperar al otro día para atender el asunto. Es una situación bien difícil”, afirma González.

Al momento hay efectivos del Negociado de Bomberos y la Policía en la zona, pero LUMA Energy, empresa encarga del sistema de transmisión y distribución eléctrico en Puerto Rico, no ha llegado al área.

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Mira los visuales a continuación

Mientras tanto, subestación de Jayuya @lumaenergypr pic.twitter.com/C93iathK1l

— Bitain (@elb_elba) July 12, 2022

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El representante del Partido Nuevo Progresista (PNP), José Aponte Hernández, denuncióel lunes que la empresa Luis Ayala Colón-Tote Maritime, bajo el consorcio Puerto Nuevo Terminals (PNT) incrementaron las tarifas que cobra por almacenar contenedores en sus predios, en algunos casos hasta un 186 por ciento.

“He sido consistente en mis planteamientos de que el acuerdo entre las empresas Luis Ayala Colón y Tote Maritime es uno malo para Puerto Rico, pues creó un monopolio total en el puerto de San Juan que, entre otras cosas, permite aumentar las tarifas de almacenamiento, sin razón alguna porque, inclusive, crearon un cargo nuevo de ‘Fuel Recovery Surcharge’ de 10.50 dólares por unidad almacenada para alegadamente mitigar el alza en el costo del combustible. Este cargo es adicional al nuevo tarifario, así que cuando calculamos, el aumento es ahora mayo”, dijo Aponte Hernández en declaraciones escritas.

Reveló la nueva tabla de tarifas creada por el consorcio PNT la cual entra en efecto mañana, lunes, 11 de julio. En la misma se detalla un aumento en múltiples áreas de almacenamiento de contenedores. Por ejemplo, aumentos en los primeros cinco días de 40 por ciento (de 25.00 a 35.00 dólares), de 6 a 10 días de un 43 por ciento (35 a 50 dólares), de 11 a 15 días 114 por ciento (35 a 75 dólares) y de 16 días en delante de un 186 por ciento (35 a $100 dólares).

“Estos excesivos y abusivos aumentos de este consorcio son un ataque directo al pueblo con incrementos que no se ameritan únicamente porque son un monopolio. Estos aumentos están diseñados para que el pueblo los pague y eso vamos a tratar de evitarlo. Inclusive, los aumentos también afectan el sector empresarial de Puerto Rico, pues existe un nuevo ‘fee’ para los contenedores de exportación, esos que contienen nuestros productos para ser vendidos en el exterior. Ahora esta empresa le colocó una nueva tarifa de ‘Export Containers’ de 50 dólares por los primeros siete días, 75 dólares hasta 12 días y 100 dólares hasta 17 días de almacenamiento, En esencia esto es un golpe mortal a la exportación de nuestros productos”, agregó.

Sdelantó que refiráo esta alza a la Comisión Federal Marítima, a la Oficina del Procurador General del Departamento de Justicia federal, la Autoridad de Puertos, y los departamentos de Justicia, Asuntos al Consumidor y Desarrollo Económico y Comercio, para su investigación.

Aponte Hernández pidió al secretario del Departamento de Desarrollo Económico y Comercio (DDEC), Manuel Cidre Miranda, que se exprese contra el nuevo aumento que tiene como resultado cortar la exportación de los productos puertorriqueños.

“Hace unos días, el Secretario del DDEC dijo que ‘tarifas suben y así mismo bajan’. Esto no es lo que pasa aquí. El combustible no tiene nada que ver con este aumento pues ya impusieron una tarifa nueva para eso. De lo que esto se trata es de aumentar el margen de ganancia en detrimento de todos. El Secretario tiene que defender la exportación de nuestros productos ante este nuevo tarifario. Nuestros comercios, particularmente las Pequeñas y Medianas Empresas, no podrán aguantar este innecesario aumento”, concluyó.

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