The long-awaited water taxi service is set to begin in August, with the ferries arriving next week, San Fernando Mayor Kenneth Ferguson said yesterday.

He said the foreign-used ferries were on their way to Trinidad from Europe and that construction of a temporary jetty at King's Wharf, San Fernando for the service was completed.

"The four vessels are due to arrive next week and all arrangements to dock the vessels made," he told the San Fernando City Council monthly statutory meeting at City Hall, Harris Promenade, San Fernando.

Ferguson said facilities for the $98 million project were set up for passengers to board and disembark at the temporary jetty and things were in place to start the service.

Initially, the water taxis will operate the San Fernando to Port of Spain route.

After nearly a year of false starts, government acquired four vessels for the service from Europe some weeks ago.

Cost of the vessels has not been disclosed but they were said to be coming from France and the United Kingdom. Each is said to be about five years old.

Works Minister Colm Imbert confirmed earlier that government was looking at buying four used vessels and the water taxi service will begin within a month of their arrival in Trinidad.

The four vessels would be used as an interim measure until new ones were acquired, he said.

In San Fernando, the harbour has been dredged and a temporary carpark and walkway leading to the jetty built.

Workers cleared 7,335 square metres of land at King's Wharf, where the car park was constructed on land leased from the Public Transport Service Corporation to the Ministry.

The car park is made up of 260 parking bays, two security booths and a covered walkway between the mobile office and barge facilities. The water taxi service was set to start in July last year and has been postponed on several occasions.