Caption: Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar inspecting police vehicles at the VMCOTT
By Alicia Chamely
PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is pledging to have 50 police vehicles earmarked for repairs, back in working condition and on the road by Christmas.
The Prime Minister made this promise as she handed over the first ten of the 50 vehicles to Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro and the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) at a small ceremony on Friday at the Vehicle Maintenance Company of Trinidad and Tobago (VMCOTT), Beetham Gardens, Port of Spain.
Persad-Bissessar said, “We are here to handover to the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, the first of a batch of 50 vehicles that we intend to repair before Christmas. Today we hand over ten vehicles that were parked up from between two months to two years.”
She revealed that upon assuming office her government discovered “almost 500 vehicles that were parked up, some in a state of disrepair, others derelict throughout Trinidad.”
Persad-Bissessar said a week ago she had directed the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation to work with VMCOTT to have the vehicles assessed, repaired and delivered to the TTPS as soon as possible.
Discussing the state of the vehicles and commending the efforts of VMCOTT, she said, “These vehicles, we are told have been parked up for two months, and in some cases two years, for minor issues, such as, change of tyres and brakes, and other minor repairs. VMCOTT has been able to retrieve these vehicles from private garages and to repair them in quick time.”
“We look forward to the next 40 vehicles being available to the police before Christmas, certainly this year,” she added.
Expressing her confidence in the Company, she called upon VMCOTT “to look at all 500 vehicles that are in a state of disrepair, we are told that over 200 can be fixed in good time.”
“We believe that we can repair as much as 100 vehicles early into the new year, and this of course will be a big boost to the police in dealing with the criminal elements,” the prime minister said.
Persad-Bissessar stated she had also charged VMCOTT to work with the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force to repair their vehicles as well.
Said she hoped “these cars, along with the other 40 vehicles, will serve the police and citizens of Trinidad and Tobago well in the coming days as we see heightened activities by citizens, in preparation for the Christmas holidays, and of course, the End of Year celebration and events.”
