New Shuttle Service: Dockyard To Beaches
The West End Development Corporation [WEDCo], in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism & Transport, revealed today [July 30] the introduction of a Minibus beach shuttle service to and from Dockyard and the South Shore beaches.
A WEDCo spokesperson said, “WEDCo is pleased to continue working with the Ministry of Tourism and Transport and private operators using the ground transportation area within the Dockyard Cruise terminal to create a private beach shuttle service.”
“Effective August 4, WEDCO and the Mini Bus Association have entered into an agreement to provide a door to door service to Horseshoe Bay and Church Bay.
“The cost of this round trip service will be $16 and will be departing and returning to Dockyard at Zone 6. Service will commence from Dockyard between the hours of 8.00am and 3.00pm, with the last returning bus leaving Horseshoe Bay at 6.00pm.”
A Ministry spokesperson said, “The Ministry continues to work very closely with WEDCo to improve and enhance the infrastructure and services provided to our cruise visitors in Dockyard.
“This new initiative is aligned with the vision for WEDCo to assume greater responsibility for ground transportation logistical operations in Dockyard.
“The shuttle service also provides opportunities for local entrepreneurs while reducing the need and reliance on the public buses that have traditionally provided this service.
“Last year the Ministry and WEDCo introduced a new traffic and pedestrian system at the Ground Transportation Area [GTA] in Dockyard.
“The new system was necessary due to the increased number of passengers following the start of Norwegian Breakaway’s service to Bermuda on May 15, 2013 and it has proven to be very successful providing a safer and more logical system for cruise ship passengers.”
“The new Beach Shuttle service is part of a series of product improvement initiatives that will be collectively implemented going forward.”
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Aren’t the regular (special) buses direct from Dockyard to the beaches? What about the mini buses that are already there? Maybe I missed something about transporting visitors…..unless, ahhhhh!!! This is more about regulation of the mini bus service and also reducing the risk of stranded tourists due to strikes by the public buses. I guess I’m smarter than I thought.
This is good news for the bus drivers. Now having to actually drive a bus will not interfere with the many meetings & Friday marches. They won’t be needed anymore.
Furthermore the cruise passengers will have dock to beach service in vehicles driven by people who will be happy to serve them.
Taxi drivers should be happy too. No more sandy salty wet passengers looking for their services.
This is funny Triangle Drifter. It sounds like you actually don’t know what you are talking about. Our bus drivers ARE happy to provide transportation for our guest and they do an excelent job at it. The same can be said of our Taxi drivers. They cannot be faulted for lending thier support to the Union which they are a part of if someone or some business is being mistreated in Bermuda. If the Government or an entity supported by the Government is attempting to force an undesirable policy on the local work force, no matter if the members of that work force are Bermudians or guest workers, there must be a recourse that the people can take that will make the Government pay attention to the voice of the people. Surely if you were unjustly forced out of your job YOU TOO would want support FROM PEOPLE WHO DO HAVE JOBS to say to the Government ON YOUR BEHALF, “Hey listen, MY job does matter, hear my cry!”. If it were not for those meetings and marches that unfortunately inconvienced our guests for a day, many injustices would have been done to people who still have to live here after those visitors returned home to thier jobs. These marches and meetings are only called when they are considered nessisary. By the way, many Taxi drivers wait in line for hours at the beach to take tourists back to the ship, if they were not happy to do so they would not wait. Don’t be upset because I prove your view is wrong, just think about it and be still. Peace be unto you.
Another bit of GREAT news for Bermuda—we’ve needed this for a while now.
Keep it up guys!
Another assault on the taxi business…..
Not if the minibus fare is $16 a head.
So why have taxi drivers been left out And what about PTB buses.
To serve the rest of the island
These direct buses will save a lot of time, as the regular buses drop off and pick up. It’s a no-brainier. And if the tourists are catching the buses all the way to Hamilton that is fine too. They can’t all get to Hamilton via the Ferry due to the limited numbers. Then there are the Public Buses that do the tours through out Bermuda, length of time three hours I believe.Well done WEDCO.
All taxi drivers do is complain about wet tourist in their taxi!
No matter what is done taxi drivers will moan about it.
What is the problem? The OBA has merely carried out the warning that DREB gave public transport some years ago. Produce reliable service or other ways will be found to transport the visitors.
DREB gave the warning. The COG got stuck doing nothing. THE MILKMAN has delivered.
Problem solved.
What is there to dislike? Did it not play out that way? The PLP can claim it was their idea.
Milton L. Scott …… the buses and taxis haven’t been left out. This is about improving service for our tourism product!!!!
How many mini buses do Wedco own.
Since when did Wedco regulate a service.
Must be a cup metch thing.
This is fantastic news! Congratulations to the ministry and Wedco for working hard to reduce the need and reliance on public transport. This will help to restore and rescue our islands reputation from the damage that the many rebel strikes and disruption in services has brought about to many of our inconvenienced visitors!
Wow,man, moan moan, what is wrong with you people, have you heard of OK. Cool.
This could be good news but can someone tell me more about the price? Is this $16 per person because if a family of six catch a mini bus it will cost them $96 dollars vs a taxi driver that doesn’t mind wet tourist in his taxi who will charge about $30. My calculations could be off a bit but not much.
See, now there is a difference between a tourist & a traveler.
The tourist will go to the ship tour director & buy shuttle seats onboard. The ship will collect 35-40% of that $16 as commission. The shuttle only gets $9-10 out of the $16.
Now the traveler knows about this scam & goes to the trouble of researching & getting himself a taxi to transport his family. Trouble is, taxis don’t mind taking them TOO the beach. They don’t want to bring them BACK.
So, if you are a follower & follow like a sheep to the ship tour director because it is the easy way, you are going to pay. The ship tour director’s first interest is making money for himself & the ship, not the passenger.
Sound familiar?
Don’t forget WEDCO’s 10%!
It’s $8 each way. So a family of 4 is $32 each way.
And a taxi is way more than $30 these days. Taxis went up 25% a few months ago.
Your calculation is off. The fare to Horseshoe is approx. $ 44; $55 on Sundays & Holidays. This is the one way fare which means they will pay $88 or $ 110. Some days it is cheaper to use a taxi others it is cheaper to us this new service.
Let me clarify. These are the fares for 5 – 7 passengers.
Is there a list of who the financial beneficiaries of this new enterprise are? Was this opportunity of service put out for tender?
The sand that they take home in their shoes shows that they had a fun time in Bermuda at the Beach.
20 people $16.00 each round trip, you are looking at $320.00 does that include lunch ?
Did they consider another entrepreneur who they have effectively put out of business? The young man who provides the service “to the top” his service will no longer be required. Doesn’t look like a lot of thought went into this scheme. Just another knee jerk reaction. The 16.00 fare is that per person, I wonder, because for a family of 4 that will cost them 64.00 one way. Cost is exorbitant.
It’s $16 for a round trip.
Don’t people read the article before complaining?
They had no consideration for the “To The Top” guy at all.
Nor did they consider the traffic congestion they will be creating in the Horseshoe Bay Beach Parking lot.
This will be pure confusion for the tourists who choose to ride mopeds when they reach the beach and find huge “minibuses” parked in the bike parking bays. If this venture is intended to replace the Government “Special” buses why don’t they let the tourists off at the bus stop at the top of the hill as has been done for the past so many years? No doubt this would make for a quick turnaround for the big “Minibuses” we are now seeing on our roads. There are more of these big privately owned buses coming on the roads and they will surely jam up the driveway up and down the hill to the beach. Has anyone considered the locals who want to drive to the beach? Are we to be inconvienced by these big buses? Wont they still make the same amount of money if they drop the tourists at the top instead of jaming up the beach road.
By the way, the Government “Special” buses do a fantastic job already. What makes WedCo think they can do better?
This smells like a scheme to privatize to make a mint of money for a select few who can afford those big “Minibuses” while Govenment looses out on the revenue they now recieve from the “Special” buses.
Not only will this put the “To The Top” guy out of business But the Taxi’s will be crowded out also and the poor Snowball guy across from the bus stop, most of his ice will melt before he can make a sale! Sad and inconsiderate! Think again WedCo!
at $16 a person that is going to be hitting the Cruise Ship Tourists hard…I wonder how many will use that service when they see the price.
Btw, a one day bus pass for the Government bus costs $15. I can use that all day as many times as I wish. I could go to Horseshoe Bay Beach and back to the ship about 5 times and then use the same pass to catch the ferrey to St. Georges and back to the ship in time for dinner!
Nice deal PTB! Keep up the great work!
Did I hear you say 1 round trip ticket on the minibus is $16?
Hmmmmm……
At the end of the day it’s about getting from a to b in a timely fashion it’s not totally about the price can’t be worse than the horrendous fare from gatwick to Heathrow on the bus
Tell me why would it cost $16 round trip when the bus is less than $10 round trip. I think these mini bus services should check themselves as they could be doing themselves an injustice. All for the love of money
I say the same thing about wholesales in this country… It makes one wonder.
Wedco’s focus is to keep business in dockyard so if they have partnered with someone to transport people to other parts of the island, they’re pretty smart. They’re still making it (Cha Ching)
At long last…well done. Good decision. Our tourists have literally been stranded. Huge lines for buses, multiple stops along the way and then another service required to shuttle you down or up the hill. Wow.
We really don’t get it. An express service, with a/c and a friendly driver chatting about our beautiful island…..now was that complicated?
We simply are way too slow for what our customers are demanding. Well done and make many more rapid decisions….and quickly please.
Now Stephen, you should know better, rapid dicisions are seldom wise.
First of all, the Special buses that Government provide are express to the beach. They go directly from the ship to the beach and back to the ship, no stops.
Secondly, I have never seen tourists stranded while using the bus system. The Special buses leave from Horseshoe Bay about every 15 minutes. If for some reason they miss that they can take the regular bus which does make the stops along the way, that’s not so bad.
On the odd occasion when there is a rush of tourists leaving the beach, all of those buses will be full and on thier way to the ship. During this time a line will build at the bus stop, and it can look as tho tourists have been waiting long or have been stranded. At least that’s how it looks to the person driving by who does not really know what they are seeing, but rest assured, because the buses have left at staggered times it is not long before they return and the tourists are back on thier way to the ship in an airconditioned bus with a friendly driver who chats with them along the way about our lovely island home.
Please remember Bermudians are known worldwide for our friendliness.
Don’t assume that our drivers don’t know how to treat our guests with respect and kindness.
Let me remind you, some bus drivers love thier job and the same can be said for many of our Taxi drivers who for decades have been ambassidors for these beautiful islands.
I say slow down, make wise decisions, BECAUSE MANY OF US REALLY DO GET IT!
Congrats to WEDCO.
Spreading the money around to the mini buses and taxis drivers.This govt is making changes that are helping. Keep it up!
Milton L. Scott …… the buses and taxis haven’t been left out. This is about improving service for our tourism product!!!!
Wonderful idea. Would gladly pay the price.
I think the arrangement is great! Door to Door service. The guy taking people to the top will always have business. Many people will choose the cheaper alternative and walk down from the public buses. Many will use minibuses or taxis which already takes people down. With 15 seats the guy on the beach cannot handle everyone now. He will not be badly impacted. Wedco, good job in considering your clients first. It is about time someone thinks of the clients instead of local grumblers. We may one day become as good at tourism as our friends to the South who do a great job at serving clients.