From the time I heard the news reports about the 300 cruise-ship passengers being stranded without tour transport in Tobago because the maxi-taxi operators failed to show up, something seemed fishy. The explanation given by president of the Tobago Maxi Taxi Association Cloyd Williams was that it was a combination …
Read More »Vaneisa: Customer service woes—and the beat goes on…
After last week’s complaint about the unreasonable wait at FCB, I received two phone calls from different managers, apologising and telling me about the plans in motion to address long waits and accounts falling asleep in absurdly short times. If the plans are to materialise as expected, it should go …
Read More »Vaneisa: Say it loud! Why we must speak out against poor service
When I use my column space to complain about poor service, it isn’t simply to seek personal redress. I believe in the power of a voice, no matter how solitary it might seem. The responses to my last column where I had described my experiences with two service providers, TSTT …
Read More »Vaneisa: Tussling with TSTT and RMS—“what an example of indifference to customers”
In my mailbox last Wednesday was yet another bill from bmobile, the brand name of the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd—the company we know as TSTT and further back as Telco. The sight of the bill aroused the same kind of disgust I felt when I’d read about …
Read More »‘More than half of T&T’s cable customers can’t access EPL’; Pantin on the Verticast impasse
“[…] The reality is Amplia has a lot to gain from this in the short-term, as they could double or triple their number of subscribers by the end of the year if this impasse continues. Because it is the people who already have pay tv and who are accustomed to …
Read More »Kangalee: Claim that workers can sacrifice wage increases for job security is a ‘Nansi story’!
“[…] During the Petrotrin shutdown saga, the OWTU actually offered to take a 15% wage cut in order to save jobs. The result? All, all, all workers were sent home. “The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) settled with TSTT for 5% over a five-year period 2014–2019. How many jobs were saved? …
Read More »Dear Editor: Gov’t indifference to the man on the street offends me, not Kamla Susheila’s ‘slave master’ jibe
“[…] The fact is that 2015 – 2025 was declared by the United Nations as the International Decade for People of African Descent with the theme: Recognition, Justice, Development. “[…] Has our country ticked off any of the objectives of the Decade? […] Why be outraged by a pure, if …
Read More »Crowne: TSTT is subject to FOI Laws; public can access information subject to exceptions
On 4 December 4 2018 the High Court held that TSTT was a ‘public authority’ under the Freedom of Information Act (the ‘Act’) and therefore subject to the Act’s access and disclosure provisions. Members of the public now have a general right to access TSTT’s official documents, with certain exceptions. …
Read More »Getting in touch with mortality; on Deborah John, Hurricane Maria and self-delusion
One thing that is more fake than fake news is VVIP status in Trinidad and Tobago—but sadly we pay out of the Treasury for the political and social botox that supports the fake status. Within the past fortnight, five Caribbean islands have been devastated and half a dozen others have …
Read More »Lifeline gets new TSTT toll-free number; NGO still desperate for financial aid
Lifeline, a 24-hour hotline for persons suffering from depression or thoughts of suicide and violence, have a new toll-free number to dial after TSTT stepped in to help the 40-year old non-governmental organisation. The toll-free number is 800-5588. The TSTT service came online today and is a boon for Lifeline who, …
Read More »STREET VIBES: With PNM in charge, when Shamfa roams, T&T taxpayers pay
For the record, I’m no telecommunications expert. That said, we learned of a government minister who racked up a phone bill to the tune of $59,059 in a matter of four days, from 29 January to 3 February. In her attempt to justify the wanton expenditure, we were informed that …
Read More »Board Games (Part Two): Afra Raymond continues look into State boards
Part One of my look into State boards prompted a series of extremely interesting responses, so I will continue this examination of the State Controlled Agencies. This term includes State-owned Enterprises (SoEs) such as UDECOTT, Caribbean Airlines and Education Facilities Company Limited (EFCL), as well as Statutory Agencies like WASA, TTEC, CDA, …
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