Caricom Transport Ministers have called for the restoration of the hassle-free travel that was in place for the Cricket World Cup in 2007, citing ongoing problems for travellers in the region and poor customer service from border control officers.
A release from the Caricom Secretariat today said that the Ministers made the recommendation at their Special Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Transportation held in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Wednesday. Recommendations from this forum will be presented to Heads of Government at their upcoming 34th Regular Meeting to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from 4-6 July where transportation is to receive special attention.
“The Ministers lamented that CARICOM nationals encountered unnecessary problems as they travelled across the Region and this was not only limited to scant regard paid to the CARICOM Passport which entitles holders to an automatic six-month stay in Member States. The Meeting recognized that there were challenges with respect to frequent security checks and co-operation between the regional airlines, among other things, which negatively affected the travelling public and had repercussions for business and tourism as well. The Ministers also agreed that much work had to be done to improve customer service among Border Control officers in the Region”, the release said.
The ministers agreed that the Heads of Government should be asked to review the decision to end the inexpensive arm band system which enabled hassle free regional travel during the World Cup. The release said that the success of that 2007 initiative was referenced during the discussion, in particular its popularity with the citizens of the region. A Single Domestic Space encompassing ten CARICOM Member States was set up for Cricket World Cup 2007. Among its features were freedom of movement for all domestic travellers and a Special Visa stamped at the first port of entry for travellers from outside the Region to allow hassle free movement among the participating SDS states. Measures to support the initiative included an Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS).
