The other venue is the once-abandoned Port
Plymouth Jetty in the Exclusion Zone, which is now
used primarily for export of sand/aggregate, thereby
ensuring the island’s road network is not compromised
by the weight of the large lorries.
The facility provides 24-hour vessel-related
operations for incoming ships, alongside its cargo
delivery functions, which are available between 8 a.m.
and 4 p.m. daily and in other hours on an overtime basis
as needed or upon customer request. A passenger
ferry to Antigua operates four days a week, except for
a month in the Christmas/festival season where daily
trips are the norm, and revenue is also generated
through equipment rentals – cranes, forklifts, etc. – for
use on the island.
In the short term, O’Garro’s focus has been on
improving the port authority’s internal culture, both relating
to the atmosphere in the workplace and the efficiency
with which it operates, as well as the way its employees
interact with the public.
“The values and culture here are built around customer
service, teamwork, accountability and respect for
employees,” he said. “That’s not to suggest those values
werenotpartoftheoperationpriortothecommencement
of my tenure, but it is part of my mandate to strengthen
all those values and generally improve the culture of the
organization.
“I want to make sure the workplace is a satisfying one,
because, as researchshows, satisfiedandhappyemployees
produce at a higher level than those with grievances.”
