Trinidad and Tobago

Infrastructure

Transportation

Railroads: Minimal agricultural system near San Fernando.

Highways: 8,000 km. (4,969 mi.) total; 4,000 km. (2,485 mi.) paved; 1,000 km. (621 mi.) improved earth, 3,000 km. (1,863.4 mi.) unimproved earth.

Plans are under way for a National Highway Program, including construction, upgrading and rehabilitation of roads and networks; the Caribbean Development Bank granted a loan of U.S.$17.4 million in 1998 to upgrade road transport efficiency in the South.

Sea Ports: Trinidad: The main ports of entry are Port of Spain and Point Lisas. Other ports are Chaguaramas, Point-a-Pierre and Point Fortin.

Tobago: Served by the Port of Scarborough. The Port of Spain port handles major dry cargoes, containers, general cargo, breakbulk and passenger traffic; the port in Scarborough is used mainly for inter-island cargo and cruise ships; Point Lisas port has specialized installations for loading anhydrous ammonia, methanol and urea in bulk, loading direct reduced iron and discharging of bulk iron, and also handles containers and general cargoes.

The ports of Port of Spain and Scarborough are managed by the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago, and the port of Point Lisas is managed by the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Corporation (PLIPDECO).

Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago: Tel: (868) 625 3836; Fax: (868) 627-2666.

Main Shipping Lines:

American Gulf Line, APL, Associated Transport Line, Bernuth Lines, Bic Line, CAGEMAPL, Associated Transport Line, Bernuth Lines, Bic LIne, CAGEMA, Caribanks Shipping Co., Cari-Freight Shipping, Columbus Line, Cia Anomia Venezolana de Navegacion, Crowley American Transport, Frota Amazonica, Geest Line, Hapag-Lloyd, Harrison Line, "K" Line (Kawasaki Kishen Kaisha), King Ocean, Kirk Line, Laparkan Shipping, MOL, Navieras, NYK Lines, P&O Nedlloyd, Seaboard Marine, Seafreight Line, Sea-Land Service, Tecmarine Lines, TMG, Tropical Shipping Co., Zim.

Air Service

Airports: Trinidad Piarco International Airport, located 29.6 km from Port-of-Spain. Tobago Crown Point International Airport, located 12.9 km from Scarborough.

There is a Master Plan for the phased development of the Piarco Airport, over the next 25 years. Plans include new passenger and cargo facilities, an Airport Hotel and World Trade Center, a bonded Industrial Park and Free Trade Zone, and aircraft catering facilities.

Airports Authority: P.O. Box 1273, Port of Spain, Trinidad. Tel: 664 8047/9; Fax: 669 2319.

Airlines: Air Canada, Air Caribbean, A.L.M. Antillean Airlines, American Airlinesss, British Caledonia, BWIA International, Condor, LIAT, Surinam Airways.

Communications

Daily Newspapers:

Daily Express, Tel: 868 623 1711
Newsday, Tel: 868 623 4929
Trinidad Guardian, Tel: 868 623 8871

Selected Radio Stations:

NBS, Tel: 868 623 2618
Trinidad Broadcasting Company, Tel: 868 622 1151.

Television Stations:

Caribbean Communications Network (CCN), Tel: 868 623 1711. (TV 6)
Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT), Tel: 868 622 4141.

Direct TV (multi-channel satellite television) has been introduced in Trinidad and Tobago by CCN, who signed an accord with Galaxy Latin America for Caribbean- wide distribution of the Direct TV service.

Telecommunications:

Both domestic and international telecommunications services are provided by Telecommunications Services of Trinidad & Tobago (TSTT), a joint venture between the government and Cable & Wireless Plc.

There are 205,600 telephone lines, with most connected to digital exchanges. Growth to a customer base of 500,000 is anticipated within the next decade.

High quality reliable international services are provided by two (2) satellite earth stations and fibre optic cables. Services include International Direct Distance Dialing (IDDD), phone cards, telegrams, telex, maritime telecommunications, electronic messaging services, local and international private leased circuits, international credit card authorization, packet-switch data services, cellular telecommunications, and Internet access.

TSTT: Edward Street, Port of Spain. Tel: (868) 623-6785.

International Dialing Instructions: To call Trinidad & Tobago, dial the access code (1 from the US), plus the area code (868), nged to (868) in 1997.

Electricity:

Electricity is supplied at 110/220 v, 60 cycles. The state-owned Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) provides all electricity services to the islands.

A U.S. company, Innercob Industries, was apparently moving forward with a plans to build a 150MW electric plant to supply four of its own manufacturing plants as well as to sell electricity to T&TEC.

Southern Electric International, Inc., in partnership with Amoco Business Development Co., has a 49% interest in T&TEC's power generation facilities.

Southern Electric operates and maintains all of the company's generating facilities, while T&TEC has retained a 51% interest in the three gas-fired generating facilities, as well as control over the distribution network.

Commercial utility rates are among the most competitive and cost effective in the Caribbean and Latin American region.

Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission: Port-of-Spain. Tel: (868) 623-2611; Fax: (868) 625-3759.



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