Cadiz: Motor Vehicle Authority onstream by September

Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz and Couva South MP Rudranath Indarsingh in front of the Sikorsky D76 at yesterday’s launch of the new aircraft. Photo: Shastri Boodan. guardian.co.tt

The Motor Vehicle Authority (MVA) will be fully operational this September, at a cost of more than $750 million. The MVA will replace the existing Licensing Division. Transport Minister Stephen Cadiz provided an update on the MVA on Friday following the official launch of the first Sikorsky-76D (S76D) helicopter at the National Helicopter Services Limited on Camden Road, Couva.

“The main office for the MVA will be in Frederick Settlement, Caroni. It is currently under construction and will be delivered around June. All administration personnel would be based there and we would have what is known as access centres (where) vehicle inspections, driver training, et cetera would take place,” said Cadiz.

Plans for a Motor Vehicle Authority were first announced by the previous administration in 2008. Cadiz explained why the projected cost has increased from “the original budgeted price of $500 million (to) upwards of about $750 million to do the entire reformation.”

“We’re going to do a complete renovation of the Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain office. A new building going up in Arima, rebuilding and renovation at San Fernando…and a brand new facility in Tobago, which would be a full access centre.”

The Transport Ministry is also going to record what Cadiz described as the “DNA” of imported vehicles as they arrive on the nation’s ports.

“We will take the ‘DNA’ of the cars as they arrive — serial number, chassis number, type, colour, et cetera. It’s really going to make a huge difference as to what we know at the Licensing Office.”

Cadiz also spoke about plans to replace the “ageing Tobago ferries” with new ones powered by Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) because the current ferries are powered by diesel, which costs an estimated $100 million a year versus an estimated $10 million a year for LNG. “If you can save $90 million – $95 million a year by using gas (LNG), that is the way to go.”

Cadiz said his ministry would be paying close attention to the outcome of Argentina’s plan to convert its ferry to LNG this February. ..READ MORE