Travel and Transportation in Trinidad and Tobago

Video Transcript

Driving is amazing. First, you left-hand drive. Steering wheel, shift gears opposite. Speed, yes. They're very much, Trinidadians drive pretty fast. Some of them really, extremely fast. Some are still learning the rules and regulations about driving fast. But they drive.

Getting around on the island, as I said to you quote before. The infrastructure of so many places that they have there was built by the Corps of Engineers many years ago. So a lot of the roads they're traveling are built and are persistently. The only difference is you drive on the opposite side of the road there.

So they have plenty of highways and spaces to get around the island. I will tell you this, there are some parts of the island that you will definitely hug the seat going around. There are no guardrails, they go around that curve and you look down and it's just you and what's down there. But it's a normal day.

Getting around, just as any other thing, they have maxi-taxis. They have a good infrastructure. I'm one that knows that. I did a lot of movements for our commander. A lot of movements of high dignitaries. And I've moved probably the most precious cargo we have in the world. And I was able to do it.

And they do have a good infrastructure. They have a bussing system. They have a maxi-taxi. What we spend twenty five dollars to go, you might ride two dollars in, it's more like the honor system. You have a maxi-taxi van that holds about twenty people. It's funny how they use the signals. You'll call up [in the  U.S.] and say 'two two two I'm going to North Lauderdale and the guy comes.' There it goes, they go [hand signal right] that or [hand signal left] that way. That  means I'm going up the hill or down the hill. You spend two tts, which is equivalent to about fifty cents. And you get in this vehicle and it's about ten people deep. So it's not about positioning. It's where you can fit in. And they line up on the priority route and they go north to south, east to west on the perimeter. So at any particular time you feel like you're getting to your destination, you pull the string. The guy pulls over and lets you out. And hit the horn and keep going.

In this video, an Air Force Reserve chief master sergeant describes driving and public transportation on the islands.