Reports are that on the weekend of Friday, September 2 through to Sunday, September 4th, 2016, an official representing the Government of Montserrat (GoM) , along with two other individuals (names withheld) attended a sea trial of the Ferry, M/V Jaden Sun, on the island of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
According to the report, the sea trial was conducted as a response to GoM’s announcement, that the procurement process for a ferry ended with no suitable vessel being presented for tender.
This resulted in the Office of the Premier announcing that due to no suitable tenders being presented, GoM will be pursuing a single sourcing option the report stated.
According to the report, the M/V Jaden Sun, one of the Vessels presented in the original tender process for a monthly fee to GoM of US$130, 000 is the vessel that was chosen to be inspected and considered by GoM.
Going back to market, to present the request for a single sourced ferry, GoM put out the following request to prospective operators;
“The Government of Montserrat, through the Access Division of the Office of the Premier, is seeking to engage in Contractual arrangements with a ferry operator to provide passenger ferry services between Montserrat and Antigua. The proposed schedule will operate a five day week with an increase to six days during the months of December and March. The vessel shall depart Montserrat in the morning and return to Montserrat in the evening where it shall remain overnight. The vessel will also be used as a lifeline transport vessel.”
The Jaden Sun may very well be the ferry chosen to provide long-awaited ferry services between Montserrat and Antigua.
