Bermuda tourist to be refused entry on buses

[sarahc78]

Uh oh this doesnt sound good :(

 

http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20110426/NEWS/704269995

 

Cruise ship passengers are to be refused entry onto buses when they arrive at Dockyard so that seats are left available for locals.

This is one of several new initiatives to try to help improve bus travel for residents who complain they are left waiting at bus stops. Whenever a cruise ship arrives at Dockyard, a dispatcher will be on hand to “control tourist numbers” in a bid to stop buses heading to Hamilton without any space.

It has long been a complaint of residents who say full buses repeatedly drive past them as tourist take priority.

Plans for a dispatcher in Dockyard, additional drivers and a revised timetable have been revealed to The Royal Gazette as the bus service comes under fire for daily cancellation lists.

An overtime ban was introduced when the Department of Public Transportation had its budget reduced by $1.3 million and it has lead to routes being axed when more than four drivers call in sick.

Transport Minister Terry Lister said he hopes having a dispatcher “overseeing the situation” will ease the overcrowding on buses during the tourist season.

He said: “Those coming in from the East shouldn’t really have a problem. But people coming from the West End find buses go right past them, as they are full of cruise ship passengers.

“It is a huge challenge throughout the West End in the tourist season. It’s unfair that buses come out of Dockyard completely full without any room to pick up people along the way.

“It was clear that something needed to be done to address this.”

A bus dispatcher has always worked at Dockyard during busy periods but Mr Lister said he would now “make better judgment calls based on the time of day”.

He said the dispatcher would “be conscious” of the morning rush hour when people waiting for buses would need to be in Hamilton for 9am.

However, Mr Lister stressed that they also had to ensure “cruise passengers have a good experience.”

Mr Lister, who says he catches the bus “from time to time”, said: “We are going to make sure there are some seats left when buses leave Dockyard. They will not come out of Dockyard full all the time.

“The dispatcher will say to tourists ‘no sorry, this bus is taking off now’ and they will be advised to get the next bus.

“But we will need to oversee it very carefully to make sure we get the balance right, we don’t want to upset residents or tourists. We don’t want the service to be a disservice.”

The majority of tourists tend to only go as far as Horseshoe Bay on the South Shore, but Mr Lister said the Middle Road bus route was like “a ferry service from Dockyard to Hamilton”.

He said he would like to see more cruise ship passengers getting the fast ferry directly to Hamilton but added: “You obviously can’t tell people what to do.”

The Department of Public Transportation is also in the process of hiring 15 new bus drivers.

Three of these drivers are currently undergoing training and five of them are being police vetted. It is hoped that job adverts will attract another seven new recruits.

Mr Lister stressed they were “replacement positions rather than new jobs,” adding that it would not affect their budget allocation.

Mr Lister said: “We’re excited. The initial group of new drivers are nearly ready to get behind the wheel.

“If you consider the savings we are making by not paying overtime, we have the money for additional people. We now only pay straight pay as much as we can.”

In relation to bus driver’s sick leave, he added: “We just hope these new drivers will work and not get ill.”

The long-awaited new bus timetable is also due to be published “in the next couple of weeks or so”.

Even thought there have been additions and tweaks to some services over the years, Mr Lister says it’s “the first new timetable in 12 years”.

Transport bosses are currently analyzing how many passengers use which routes at which times, as the new timetable will be “based around ridership levels”.

It is expected to include changes to the frequency of routes and to termination locations. For example, it may be more cost-effective for the same vehicle to continue to Dockyard rather than terminate at Barnes Corner.

Mr Lister said: “The public do have a say, they have been voting with their feet without even realizing it.

“I’m sure people will scream and holla but we will be embracing the new schedule.

“Buses generally speaking offer a safe, reliable and good service.” The Department of Public Transportation is no longer distributing emails about bus cancellations. To look at the daily list you need to go to the www.gov.bm website and select bus cancellations from the making news today section on the lower left hand of the screen.

[We're The Groupnors]

I bet the locals will scream and holler more when the tourist numbers go down and small local businesses suffer.

[goodearth]

I had Bermuda on an itinerary for next year, but held off committing to it. Glad I did. We prefer to ride buses if possible--we have learned a LOT from locals in that process--and is one of the joys of traveling. To have it rationed does not sit well with me, and I've never seen this anywhere else that I have visited--much less such a small island. If they need local's only transportation--then maybe they should set that up as a commuter service or local's only buses that don't stop near the cruise port. Just don't call it public if it isn't. That may be the straw that breaks the camel's back since I won't make plans based on whether I "might" catch a bus, and it definitely doesn't make me want to visit and pay more for simple and short transportation. I wonder how business people and shopkeeper's that reap the benefits of cruise guests on the island feel?

[Wine-O]

We hopped a bus back in 2006 leaving the Dockyards and stopped en route to Hamilton, where our ship was docked, for lunch, and intended to hop back on the next bus to the Lighthouse, then a later bus to Hamilton.

 

After we finished lunch, every bus that came by in the direction of Hamilton was packed. We couldn't get onto a bus in the direction we were going. Ended up crossing the street to catch a bus back to the Dockyards to catch a boat to Hamilton. It was a pain in the butt, so I can empathize with the locals.

[runner15km]

There is a express bus to Horseshoe Bay maybe they could add a Hamilton Express.

[ShadowzBtlr]

Bermuda already has an express to Hamilton -- it's called the ferry. For about $4.00 US you will arrive in Hamilton about 30 minutes before any bus from Dockyard.

[hcat]

didn't they also announce a change in the ferry schedules?

[cruisestitch]

Yes, ferry schedules have been cut back. There was a thread about it earlier this month.

[Bundles917]

Bermuda already has an express to Hamilton -- it's called the ferry. For about $4.00 US you will arrive in Hamilton about 30 minutes before any bus from Dockyard.

 

The ferry has been cut back due to budgets cuts; leaving the Dockyard with lesser options for mass transit.

 

Article here: http://www.royalgazette.com/article/...9985/-1/news04

[Wine-O]

Here's a copy of the Bermuda Summer ferry schedule along with costs for 1-2-3 day passes. Last time we were there, first time at the Dockyards, we bought a 2-day pass and planned to spend the last day (leaving at 4pm) at the Snorkel Park. So did everyone else. Big mistake. The Park with 2 cruise ships in was crowded and snorkeling was horrible.

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/9805511/summer_schedule_11.pdf

 

The best way to see St. Georges is to take the ferry over there and take the ferry back. They only run a couple of times from the Dockyards. Don't miss it coming back because it's a long bus ride. :eek:

 

Good snorkeling at Tobacco Bay, but expensive to purchase food/beer. Souvenir/information kiosk at the Dockyards sold premium beers for $2 each. Bring a soft cooler and get some ice from the ship to keep your stuff cool.