Over the past months, the Pink Ferry route which serves Paget and Warwick has seen a string of mechanical failures, breakdowns, and cancellations. This route serves a wide variety of people in Paget and Warwick, including seniors, tourists, and workers commuting to and from Hamilton.
Unsurprisingly, cancellations at the last minute or even without notice can upend ferry riders, just like bus cancellations. The difference is, there isn’t another ferry coming later.
The Pink Ferry is an iconic and historical part of Bermuda’s landscape, particularly tourism. And, for residents of Hinson’s island, especially seniors, the Ferry is an important lifeline.
To their credit, the ferry crew and Marine and Ports staff have innovated, using tools like WhatsApp to keep riders updated on the ferry status (there are hundreds of members!), and juggling parts between multiple boats. However, despite their best efforts, they can’t work miracles and provide a reliable ferry service when the equipment is old and worn out, and there isn’t an alternate boat available.
Ferry users want to know, what are Government’s plans to get this route working reliably? Does the ferry need an overhaul? Can a back-up boat be provided? What can they count on from the Government?
Over the past month I have contacted Minister of Transport Darrell by phone and email multiple times, asking what the Ministry’s plans were. I was grateful that the Minister initially pledged to look into the issue, but no information has been provided since then.
While we can’t expect Government to magically get old boats working perfectly, we can expect them to keep taxpayers and ferry riders informed, properly plan ahead and make sure this ferry route, like all public transport, works reliably.
