Hazardous swells kept away all three cruise ships scheduled in port on Monday, delivering another blow to the local tourism economy already hard hit by Hurricane Irma. The forces of nature are something over which man has little control, but at least Boardwalk Boulevard seems to have prevented flooding on Front Street.
Three ships are again scheduled for today, Tuesday. Hopefully the sea will have calmed down enough to receive them, because the island badly needs the business.
However, there is another storm brewing that could have an even worse impact on the cruise sector. The Downtown Taxi Association appears to be in a conflict with Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) inspectors regarding the way the association organises the work for cab drivers in Philipsburg.
According to the report, they were told to stop their activities at the present location, as Government intended to take over the dispatching service. The members had no intention to comply, as no reason was given in writing.
More mature readers might recall some of the chaotic scenes with taxi drivers and cruise passengers coming off the ferries in the past that even sparked letters of concern by ship captains and owners. The last thing St. Maarten needs now is return to the “wild west” situation in those days.
Interim TEATT Minister Cornelius de Weever would do well to get on top of this matter and resolve it before things get out of hand. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
