CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – THE truck owners, who suffered losses when the MV BO II keeled over after taking on water in the St. Kitts shipping port on Wednesday, April 29, are expressing dissatisfaction with the way operators of the vessel, the TDC Group of Companies, are dealing with the incident.
The accident occurred after five of the scheduled six trucks, each with a cargo of sand, were loaded onto the vessel. The vehicles were salvaged after almost a month and their owners notified.
Julian ‘Toba’ Liburd, who said he was speaking on behalf of the five truckers, told SKNVibes that the disappointment stems from a number of factors. He explained that he was told that his truck was discharged and he must make the necessary arrangements to collect it at his convenience.
According to Liburd, he and the other truckers were told that it is their responsibilities to get the trucks back to Nevis. He said this should not be since the trucks were in the care of TDC when the mishap occurred.
Liburd, who said he has been out of work since April 29, is also concerned about compensation for the expenditure incurred. He identified his expenses as paying the truckers, paying for the sand, paying the loading operators and paying TDC for the trip. He told this media house that he would also like to be compensated for his truck, which he described as being “written on”.
Finance Director of TDC, Earl Austin Kelly refuted the claims that the company was not assisting in getting the trucks back to Nevis. He said an email was sent to Liburd on Wednesday (June 3) apologising for the inconvenience caused and advising him that the trucks would be put on the barge to Nevis at the earliest opportunity.
Kelly said that the issues raised by Liburd were understandable ones. He however declared that the issues were now in the hands of TDC’s legal counsel who is in the process of responding to Liburd’s counsel who had written the company.
Up to the time of publication the trucks had not yet arrived in Nevis.
