The president of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, Carlos Méndez, said today that he is “fed up” that the issue of maritime transport to the islands of Vieques and Culebra, a subject, is not met with the haste that is required. in the eye of the hurricane for alleged wrongs towards users.
The legislative leader said that he does not rule out the possibility of summoning an interpellation session soon to the executive director of the Maritime Transportation Authority (ATM), Juan Maldonado de Jesus, to explain the amount of “setbacks that have arisen in the past weeks related to this vital service. “
The last one, according to local media, is that cargo ferries do not work between the new terminal located in the municipality of Ceiba and both islands municipality.
“I’m tired, I’m tired of hearing almost every day situations related to maritime transportation and lack of action by the ATM to solve these issues, it’s enough to delegate the Viequenses and Culebrenses to the background. excuses, I do not want more promises, I do not want more words, I want and demanded concrete action today, this matter is going to be solved now, “the president of the Chamber said in a statement.
There really is “no excuse for this dislocation, none.” You can not continue to notify about last-minute schedule changes either, the priorities of the ATM should be the transportation of the residents of Culebra and Vieques, as well as their cargo. There must be boats available to supply this service, and there must be an additional fleet so that, in the event of a breakdown, the service is not affected, “Méndez added.
For this reason, he stressed, he evaluates citing the executive director of the ATM to the full Chamber of the House of Representatives to provide details of the actions “he has taken to address this situation and because there have been so many setbacks.” I repeat, Viequenses and Culebrenses they deserve a maritime transportation service of excellence, less is not acceptable to me. “
Through interpellation, a member of the Cabinet is interrogated by members of the legislative branch about one or several topics with the aim of clarifying doubts or confirming suspicions and, thus, making a recommendation to the governor regarding the capacity of said official.
Finally, the president of the Chamber asked the executive to accelerate the process of identification and granting of the contract, before the summer, of the Public-Private Partnership (APP) for the provision of the maritime transportation service.
Finally, he affirmed that the selected company has to prove, that it has the necessary resources to operate, even in emergency conditions and that the process is “transparent” and “open” to the residents of Vieques and Culebra.
In turn, the independence senator Juan Dalmau, said today, before the denunciations made by Viequenses leaders in the sense that the boats destined for public transport have been used for private ends, that it is a “shamelessness” and an “outrage” “
“To the ordeal that the people of Culebra and Vieques have been subjected for decades due to the incompetence of popular administrations and penepés in the public transport service, now is added the outrage and shamelessness of the current administrator of the boats leaving them without the service to rent it to a millionaire, “he said in a statement.
Faced with this complaint “we have filed the resolution of the Senate 997 to order the completion of a thorough investigation, not only of this serious complaint of the use of vessels for what they are not intended, as is the rental of the same for the celebration of a wedding of a millionaire, but to expand it and investigate the nature of the contract between Puerto Rico Fast Ferries and the ATM, “said the pro-independence politician.
The island, he said, has witnessed “the worsening of martyrdom and the vicissitudes suffered by the people of Vieques and Culebra with the poor service” of transportation between the islands.
“To the list of historical grievances of lack of information on travel itinerary, the delays in the departures, the unavailability of space, recurrent breakdowns, the lack of timely transportation in high seasons of tourism, now adds the indignation of the people of Vieques before the interruption of the maritime transportation service for reasons of an insensitive official, who cares little about the citizenship of Vieques, which decided to leave stranded residents to lease the boat to a millionaire for private use, “he said. (EFEUSA)
