Trinidad and Tobago , a country that relies heavily on industrialisation and tourism, has various transport systems. The nation drives on the left, and has a network of roads and highways. There is also some ports and smaller harbors, as well as highways.
Trinidad is the larger island, with a business-oriented economy and the seat of the country's government. Piarco International Airport serves the island of Trinidad with international flights to destinations in the Caribbean, South America, North America and Europe. The airport is located in the town of Piarco off the Churchill Roosevelt Highway, 30 km (19 miles) away from Port of Spain. It has been voted the best airport in the Caribbean on numerous occasions.
A smaller number of international flights fly directly to Tobago's A.N.R. Robinson International Airport (formerly Crown Point International Airport). The airport is mostly kept active by the domestic airbridge, a heavily subsidized flight service between Trinidad and Tobago, operated as much as 20 times per day by Caribbean Airlines.
There is also a small airfield named Camden Airstrip in Couva, which is mainly used for cropdusting planes.
Public transport is provided by a bus service operated by government-owned Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC), privately owned mini-buses (locally known as maxi-taxis) and privately owned cars. Maxi-taxis and some cars carry passengers along fixed routes for a fixed fare, although cars are slightly more expensive for similar routes carried by maxi-taxis because of their much smaller passenger capacities. Car taxis are not allowed to utilise the Priority Bus Route, and as such maxi-taxis and buses are preferable for speedily entering and exiting the cities (especially Port of Spain) during rush hour (7am–9am and 4pm–6pm).
In downtown Port of Spain on a street referred to as South Quay is the historic site of the Trinidad Government Rail (TGR) building at #60 South Quay, Port of Spain. This former railway facility is now the current administrative and bus loading headquarters of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC). The compound also houses the Maxi Taxi loading facility which is located in its north-eastern quadrant. The Maxi Taxi loading facility is utilized by both route two or red-banded Maxi Taxis and route three which are green-banded. The red-banded Maxi Taxis ply for hire from Port of Spain eastward to as far as the town of Sangre Grande. Green-banded Maxi Taxis ply for hire from Port of Spain in a southern direction to either Chaguanas which is considered central Trinidad or to the region of San Fernando located along the south-western coast of Trinidad. The entire PTSC compound located on South Quay Port of Spain is officially referred to as The Port of Spain Transit Centre. The name "City Gate" to which the facility is popularly referred cannot be legally or officially used by the PTSC or on any official documentation used to refer to this facility.
Other Maxi Taxis such as the Route one or yellow-banded Maxis ply for hire from Port of Spain to West/ North- West Trinidad. This loading facility is located at #19-21 South Quay in downtown Port of Spain approximately two hundred meters West of the PTSC. This Route one facility caters to persons travelling to locations such as Diego Martin, Petit Valley, St. James, Carenage, Chaguaramas and Maraval.
In all other locations and for Port of Spain Intra-city transportation, taxi-stands are scattered at various streets of the town or region, and after sunset some of these taxi-stands may change location, although this changed location is also fixed. Recently there has also been a growth in popularity of American-style taxi-cabs that do not work along a fixed route and they can be booked for specific times for specific journeys.
In 2023, you'd notice quite a few commuters using bicycles. There has been an uptick over the pandemic, since cars are very expensive. There are no bike lanes for transport in Trinidad and Tobago, although several areas are tiny and easily bikeable.
Ferries operate between Port of Spain and Scarborough. Cars can be brought onto the ferries and kept in the cargo areas. Ferries run daily, Sundays to Sunday (fewer sailings on the weekend). The ferries are inexpensive, in spite of the minimum 2½–3-hour travel time between Port of Spain and Scarborough.
The Water Taxi Service operates between the cities of Port of Spain and San Fernando at a peak rate of five sailings from San Fernando to Port of Spain per morning. Each sailing carries approximately 400 passengers. Travel time is 50 minutes and the cost of the service is heavily subsidized.
There was a minimal agricultural railway system near San Fernando, but the Trinidad Government Railway that was built while Trinidad and Tobago was a colony of the United Kingdom was gradually scaled back until it was discontinued in 1968. (The narrow-gauge agricultural railway was shut down in the late 1990s).
On April 11, 2008 the Trinitrain consortium announced it would plan and build the 105 km two-line Trinidad Rapid Railway. [1] It was claimed that the new railways were needed to overcome growing road congestion. [2] However the project was cancelled in September 2010. [3] [4]
As of 2021, there are 9,592 km of roads in the country. The Ministry of Works and Transport (MOWT) Highway Division maintains 2,050 km, including all highways. [5] [6]
Trinidad also has a large and complex highway network that consists of three 6-lane freeways and four 4-lane freeways:
Tobago Highways (2-Lane Freeway)
Minor Highways
Pipelines: crude oil 1,032 km; petroleum products 19 km; natural gas 904 km
Ports and harbours: Pointe-à-Pierre, Point Fortin, Point Lisas, Port of Spain, Scarborough, Tembladora
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1,000 gross tonnage (GT) or over) totaling 2,439 GT/4,040 tonnes deadweight (DWT)
ships by type: (1999 est.)
Airports: 6 (1999 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1999 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)
(Transportation information from the CIA World Handbook.)
Gibraltar has a limited public transport system, due to the compact size of the territory.
Transport in Saint Christopher and Nevis includes normal road traffic, public buses, taxis, ferries, airports, and one railway.
Port of Spain, officially the City of Port of Spain, is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municipal population of 37,074 (2011), an urban population of 81,142 and a transient daily population of 250,000. It is located on the Gulf of Paria, on the northwest coast of the island of Trinidad and is part of a larger conurbation stretching from Chaguaramas in the west to Arima in the east with an estimated population of 600,000.
Barbados is a relatively small country with a length of 21 miles (34 km) and a width of 14 miles (23 km). Barbados has 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) of public paved roads, two active marine ports in, remnants of a railway system, and one airport; the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport, located in Christ Church.
Scarborough is a major town of the Island of Tobago as well as the eleventh-most-populous in Trinidad and Tobago. Scarborough was the capital of Tobago in 1769 before it was unified with Trinidad changing the capital to Port of Spain. Situated in western Tobago, Scarborough is the economic and cultural centre of the island of Tobago. The estimated population in 2011 was 17,537. Scarborough is ranked as one of Trinidad and Tobago's most densely populated towns alongside Port of Spain, San Fernando, Chaguanas and Arima. The town's skyline is dominated by Fort King George, an 18th-century fortification named after King George III, which now hosts a historic and archaeologic museum. Scarborough's deepwater harbour was built in 1991; before that ships were forced to anchor offshore.
San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando, is the most populous city and second most populous municipality in Trinidad and Tobago, after Chaguanas. Sando, as it is known to many local Trinidadians, occupies 19 km2 and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad. It is bounded to the north by the Guaracara River, the south by the Oropouche River, the east by the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and the west by the Gulf of Paria. The former borough was elevated to the status of a city corporation on 18 November 1988. The motto of San Fernando is: "Sanitas Fortis" - In a Healthy Environment We Will Find Strength. San Fernando is called Trinidad and Tobago's "industrial capital" because of its proximity to the Pointe-à-Pierre oil refinery and many other petrochemical, LNG, iron and steel and aluminium smelters in places such as Point Lisas in Couva, Point Fortin, and La Brea.
The Borough of Chaguanas is the largest municipality and fastest-growing town in Trinidad and Tobago. Located in west-central Trinidad, south of Port of Spain, north of Couva and San Fernando, and named after the indigenous tribe who originally settled there, it grew in size due to its proximity to the Woodford Lodge sugar refinery. It remained a minor town until the 1980s when it began to grow rapidly as it drew people for its bargain shopping and moderately priced housing. Its rapid growth has seen property values increase dramatically, however.
Arima, officially The Royal Chartered Borough of Arima is the easternmost and second largest in area of the three boroughs of Trinidad and Tobago. It is geographically adjacent to Sangre Grande and Arouca at the south central foothills of the Northern Range. To the south is the Caroni–Arena Dam. Coterminous with Town of Arima since 1888, the borough of Arima is the fourth-largest municipality in population in the country. The census estimated it had 33,606 residents in 2011.
Couva is a town in west-central Trinidad, south of Port of Spain and Chaguanas and north of San Fernando and Point Fortin. It is the capital and main urban centre of Couva–Tabaquite–Talparo, and the Greater Couva area includes the Point Lisas industrial estate and the port of Point Lisas. It is one of the fastest-growing towns in the country. Couva's southern boundary is at the village of California and Point Lisas, and to the north Couva stretches to McBean. To the east of Couva is Preysal. To the west of Couva is the road to Waterloo and Carli Bay, which are located on the Gulf of Paria. Couva was part of the Caroni County. Couva is considered a major power base for the United National Congress, whose headquarters was previously located here.
Barataria is a neighbourhood in Trinidad and Tobago located in San Juan. It is east of Port of Spain and Laventille and west of the San Juan town centre. It is part of the East–West Corridor.
Sangre Grande is the largest town in northeastern Trinidad and Tobago. It is located east of Arima and southwest of the village of Toco. It is the seat of the Sangre Grande Regional Corporation and capital of the region.
Curepe is a town in the East–West Corridor of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located west of St Augustine and east of St Joseph. Curepe adjacents the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies. Many of the students attending the university live in Curepe.
The Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, sometimes referred to as SHH, is the major north–south highway on the island of Trinidad, in Trinidad and Tobago. It runs for 51.2 km.
The Southern Main Road is a major road in Trinidad and Tobago running from Curepe in the north through Chaguanas, Couva, San Fernando, and Point Fortin to Icacos in the southwest, over a now discontinuous length of 120 km.
Maxi taxis are private, owner-operated minibuses in Romania and Trinidad and Tobago that are used in public transport. They operate along fixed routes, having fixed fares and meeting points, but do not operate under a timetable.
City Gate is the main terminal for the buses and maxi taxis in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the former Trinidad Government Railway terminal on South Quay. It was slated to serve as the terminal for the proposed rapid rail system. The City Gate terminal is a historical landmark. It was responsible for connecting Port of Spain to the rest of the island via railway. The building itself displays authentic European architecture. Today, it serves as a bus terminal and is a major destination for commuters from all over the nation.
The Public Transport Service Corporation or better known as PTSC is the state-owned public transport provider for Trinidad and Tobago. Its headquarters are at City Gate in Port of Spain. Passengers have to buy the tickets at a ticket booth and show it to the driver. The fares vary with distance. There are two type of buses: the blue-and-white buses are the regular and the red-and-white are the express commuter buses. The latter are more expensive, make fewer stops and are more comfortable.
The Trinidad Rapid Railway is a proposed passenger railway system in Trinidad and Tobago.
