NSC To Charge Entry Fees For Use Of Track
The Board of Trustees of the National Sports Centre announced that effective January 27th 2014 the Centre will begin charging fees for public use of the main competition track and the Stadium stairs or concourse for training or competition purposes.
Public entry fees for the track facility and stadium will be: $2 for children [age 6 to 13], $8 for adults and $5 for youth [age 13 to 18] and seniors [age 65 and over]. There will be no charges for use of the larger 600 metre track surrounding the north cricket pitch and football fields.
A statement from the NSC said, “The introduction of fees for track and stadium will bring consistency, fairness and equitable treatment for charging fees for use of the primary athletic fields and pitches at the NSC.
“The fees will contribute to covering a small portion of the Centre’s on-going track, fields and stadium operational costs. Fees are applicable to personal trainers and public users.”
The full statement from the National Sports Centre is below:
The Board of Trustees of the National Sports Centre is proud of quality of facilities offered the citizens of Bermuda. The NSC team has continuously worked hard so many may experience quality athletic venues and programming at zero or a minimal cost. Historically NSC has never charged for regular training use of the track.
Today the Board announces, that after extensive review, effective January 27th 2014 the Centre will begin charging fees for public use of the main competition track and the Stadium stairs or concourse for training or competition purposes.
The introduction of fees for track and stadium will bring consistency, fairness and equitable treatment for charging fees for use of the primary athletic fields and pitches at the NSC. The fees will contribute to covering a small portion of the Centre’s on-going track, fields and stadium operational costs. Fees are applicable to personal trainers and public users.
The Board invests a substantial amount of money each year to maintain the track, stadium and south field. Regular repair and maintenance is important to protect and extend the life of the Centre.
Extensive maintenance, lifecycle replacements and enhancements are a necessity in managing the track, stadium and field surfaces. The fees generated will greatly assist the Board ensure good quality, timely preventive maintenance while maintaining a clean, consistent facility appearance manner, while optimizing operational functionality.
As part of its commitment to accessibility and affordability NSC will ensure the fees charges are moderate. Additionally, the Centre will donate a number of monthly passes every month to a number of designated organizations in Bermuda who promote active healthy living or support those in financial need.
It is also important to note that there will be no charges for use of the larger 600 metre track surrounding the north cricket pitch and football fields.
The National Sports Centre is open to the public every day. We suggest you check our web site for specific facility schedules prior to planning your use.
Public entry fees for the track facility and stadium will be: $8 for adults; $5 for youth [age 13 to 18] and seniors [age 65 and over]; and $2 for children [age 6 to 13].
Money-saving multipack fitness packages of 10 tickets are also available, as well as monthly passes. Personal trainers can purchase individual day use passes or multi packs for their customers. BNAA registered clubs will have the opportunity to rent the track for training at national sport group rates.
Bermuda is truly becoming a pay and display society and it is affecting those who do not have the money. Many people simply go to the track because it is a safe place to work out, with a track that allows you to keep pace of your Movements (four laps around the field is a mile). You can run up the step (bleechers) and have a very different but challenging work out. Many people dont have the funds to join a Gym and dont like the unsafe roads or tracks so they choose the stadium. It is a sad day when we now have to pay for the use of the Field when Public funds were used to build and develop the facility and a part of the selling point at the time of the development was free usage for the community. In a time that sees 1 in 4 overweight Bermudians and many of those individuals are on the bottom end of the socio-ecconomic scale we should be implimenting more things that cause individuals to want to work out. At the end of the day poor health cost us all. what next, we will be charged a walk fee for the roads.
I totally agree… the reason I go up there because I cannot afford the gym. My training partner and I was up there last night and saw the sign…
I wonder how when the PLP tried to do this, everyone was up in arms and when the OBA does it, no one complains.
Mental Slavery Maybe?
It parallels with the saying that the white man’s ice is colder(what ever they do is the best and sensible way, very much mental and historical.)
So use the lower track, it is free!
What about the stairs? The bleachers in the lower field are hardly safe.
We already paid with our taxes to have National Stadium renovated. Who’s bright idea was this?!?
The trouble is that your taxes didn’t pay for it. The taxes collected were nowhere near enough to pay for it. The PLP borrowed money to pay for it. That is the real problem.
Who’s bright idea?
The OBA!
Have you considered the railway trail?
As the track has been closed for coming up to two years now then you must have been training somewhere else. The fact is NOTHING is free we either pay higher taxes or pay to use the facility. If we raise taxes half the companies who are only here because we are a tax haven will leave and then we WILL be closed for business.
What absolute nonsense…1 or 2% is not a hardship!
Taking your logic neither is $8
James, if you actually think companies won’t leave because of a tax increase I’ll happily sell you some swampland in Florida.
But the fact is that, by law, the Bermuda government can’t tax exempt companies.
As for payroll taxes, all you have to do is look at how many jobs were lost when the previous government decided to increase payroll taxes.
I’m not laying an extra 2% taxes for people to run around a luxury running track. Use a field. Or pay the $8.
What foolishness are you spouting?!? The track has not been closed. I go there regularly and it is very much accessible to the public. The track (not considering the adults) is used for BERMUDA athletes. Why should they pay to represent their country?
The track is inly open at Midday it has been like that for about 2 years.
as much as i dont like the idea, maintenance of the facility cost money, that includes the wear and tear from the constant use of the track.
OBA are nothing but a bunch of blood sucking CAPITALISTS.
Oh and don’t tell me that the OBA can’t reverse this decision, because under the previous administration it was decided that a worker would close the gate late at night and open them first thing in the morning so citizens could go and exercise.
There seems to be an assumption by the powers that be that EVERYONE IS RICH!
So run around the lower field for free.
Or, if you want to run on the spiffy track, pay for its maintenance.
The government played very little to no part in this decision. The NSC is a quango/self-run organization that must generate funds in order to not have to rely on the government for support on every little issue. And if we are operating under the assumption that everyone is rich, I’m sure they would choose a much greater fee that just $8. You can’t even buy lunch for that cheap.
It was the previous government that instigated the closure and locking up of the track two years ago.
@Okayman. Actually, you are wrong. The Board of Trustees made that decision. The same board that sits today. Government had nothing to do with the decision. And on top of that, the board realized it was a wrong decision and reversed it after a couple of months. So stop trying to spread mis-information.
OBA are just trying to pay off debt that the last administration let get out of control. Free buses, free swimming pool, free National Stadium sounds great. Maybe we should have free rent too. We have bills to pay. If everyone does their small bit then maybe our children have hope. If we keep looking for freebies when man made things need constant repair and eventually replacement. As several people said earlier, you have railway tracks, free fields, free north field,free roads. Simple solutions.
Too bad the OBA is borrowing more than the PLP ever did.
Here we go again…
FYI – the pool is not free!! You have to pay so why not for the track????
The track shouldn’t have to pay for the pool…which is what they are trying to do. That track has been there for YEARS and no one has had to pay until…the year round heated pool was built! If you compare the cost of track maintenance to pool maintenance it is significantly different!
The children who use the track often times come from lower earning families and that is their way out. The programs that are run with the use of that track have saved many young men! I believe things need to be done to ensure that these programs continue to help the young people…without the added burden of cost.
You don’t need a lifeguard for the track,
you don’t need to heat the track,
you don’t need a pump for the track.
There are maintenance expenses, though maintenance to a running track is significantly cheaper than maintenance to a 50 metre pool.
So we pay taxes to build and operate the facility … and then need to pay fees to use it? Something wrong there!
Actually most of the funds to build and manage the facility came from a private trust. A gentleman left a vast amount of his money for Bermuda to have a National Stadium. It does receive a government grant but don’t kid yourself. The little bit of taxes you pay didn’t build the stadium so try again.
This is news to me. Please provide the source of your information.
I can’t recall who first told me this but I’m sure if you speak to one of the trustees or Youth and Sports you can find out for yourself. Just because it’s news to you doesn’t mean it’s not a fact. Just means you were ill-informed. Do a little research on your own.
We paid to renovate it with our tax money.
What was renovated? Please enlighten us.
Your tax money didn’t cover anything. The PLP used borrowed money. That’s the problem.
Here’s the problem. Over the last decade or so we spent a lot of our taxpayers money, plus borrowed a bunch more, to build, build build. This is Capital Expenditure, CapEx, a one time cost.
Very little thought nor budget was put into the ongoing expenses to maintain these facilities. This is Operational Expenditure, OpEx, ongoing annual costs.
Once you build something you have to continue paying to maintain and run it. We literally have no money left for this. If we want to keep these facilities running the money has to come from from somewhere. If you want the Government to pay for it they will have to either stop funding other programs or find the money somewhere else, which is usually from us the taxpayers.
the stadium belongs to a trust, not the government, so yes you have to pay, nothing is free, everything cost money to run.
that land inwhich the Stadium is built didn’t belong to any individual. It was Gov’t land where the college was located so to to say we didnt pay for the stadium to be built is assinine. We the tax payers need to start a potition to put a stop to this pay to use a stadium that was built on the promise that Bermudians will have a top class facilty to use for competions and free public use. The present board of direct are to be commended for their efforts to find revenue streams to maintain such a facilty, but this is unexceptable. Maybe we need to explore utilizing the inmate population to maintain the stadium for example. But the last thing we need to do is charge the public.
Please show where it was promised that the facility would be free for public use. Who made that promise? And by the way the stadium was there before the college. The college made way for the area that is the parking lot and the cricket pavilion
view the newspaper of that timeperiond and you will see what you seek. But it was the The UBP and they made the promise. I guess this is your opportunity to play the blame game on the other party……. stop the maddness
Who the heck bought up anything about the UBP? You are making things up to cover the fact that you have no proof that the stadium was promised for free public use.
So runners are being identified as the ones to subsidize the loss making swimming pool?
Wait and see how little use that pool gets from November to April. Once they peg the heating costs to user fees no one will rent it out -then it wil not be heated.
I guess you haven’t been up to see the pool full with swiming classes every eveing. If you have been up there you wouldn’t be making the dumb statement you just did.
Indeed I have. That doesn’t mean that they are covering the cost of heating the pool etc. does it? When they crunch the numbers there will be a massive shortfall.
How many clubs are renting pool time there over the winter genius? Take a guess at how many will next year.
@JT, Your first statement said “wait and see how little that pool gets used from Novemeber to April” we are currently in January and I can see how the pool is full of adults and kids every night. So your first statement is wrong. Take some time to go there and see for yourself. Do you know how many swim clubs rent the pool in the winter? Do you know how many will next year? If you do, then you should be very rich because you can obviously predict the future, genius.
I also use the pool and it is busy every morning, lunch time and especially evenings with swimming clubs and members of the public. If you don’t use it then you probably shouldn’t bother commenting!
Ditto.
I’m interested to see if either of you will take a stab at how much you think it costs to heat that pool in the winter. Go ahead and throw us a number. I bet you are not too close.
@JT none of us claimed to know the figures. We pointed out your VERY WRONG statement in how much the pool gets used. But since you are the all knowing all powerful Oz, why don’t you enlighten us lowly regular folk.
Back to the old ways of getting things done. Whatsapp/Email/Insta/FB/ Church folk to meet at a local park/church grounds or open area of space (with or w/o kids) to continue that healthy lifestyle many are trying to maintain, without breaking their pockets… Seems like Plan B is always in order these days
Well said SaD!!!!
Have they hired a person to collect the fees? Will the fees collected cover the cost of the employee? Just asking!!
Someone has 2 pay for that useless pool! I saw this coming along time ago!
This is not a national health issue. nobody reading this story on their phone while waiting in line at KFC will shed a tear. It’s an athletic facility management issue. people can still get fit for free at North Field on the maintenance-free tarmac. That said, once I pay to use the track, will they turn the lights on?!
One term party¡
Consistency, fairness and equitable treatment for whom I might ask? We he public built this and now have to pay to use it…Nice way to stick it to the people to discourage people using the facility.
There is never anyone at the pool to collect fees, so who is going to collect these fees. No point in setting it up if there is no-one there!!
I use the pool, there is always a lifeguard there to check my card or issue a new one. They are collecting money.
Agreed, there are always lifeguards on to check passes and ensure people pay to use the pool!
First off, people who use the pool, pay to use the pool. Second off, that is a ground that has to be maintained. The grass has to be cut, the bathrooms have to be cleaned, trash picked up etc. Do you think that is all free? Some of the same people complaining are the ones saying that government needs to cut back some where. Well, they have and you are now complaining that your taxes pay for the stadium. We don’t pay that much in taxes compared to countries like US, Canada, UK and France so how far do you think your tax dollars are going. They stated that the bottom is still open for free so if you don’t want to pay, go down there, what’s the problem? Another point is that there are lots of trainers who charge people to train but then are using the stadium for free. They are collecting money and using facilities for free. Is that right? At the end of the day it’s still a whole lot cheaper than going to a gym so I don’t know what the big fuss is about. People here are so used to getting something for nothing. Want benefits but don’t want to pay for them.
Do you work out or ever taken advantage of the stadium before?
Your point is valid .. on many points **People do need to be paid to cut the grass, clean the toilets and maintain the grounds etc..**
I know first hand having a trainer last year using the facility Monday – Saturday that she did pay her dues to the Stadium and did take her profit home with her.. Fair enough but as a perk to the trainer who is paying their dues to the stadium they should be allowed to have a certain number of people to have access because of that.
… if they need to make $$ off of the facility then I would suggest at specific times (i.e. peak times have your stated rate and someone to collect the funds and enforce it) because people would actually enjoy the alternatives of that side…
Personally, the smaller side is just that… small, you will have sprinters, runners, walkers all in one crowded area.. not a safe place to house activities…
At the end of the day we will will work an “alternative” out or go with the flow and pay to use the facility… It is a simple as that.
your absolutely right, for those that dont want to pay, you have tons of school fields to work out on, you can find stairs anywhere, stop complaining. People in Poorer countries are much more resourceful than us spoiled brats.
I got to dish out $8 for the 25mins I run for during my lunch?
No, you haven’t “got to dish out $8″. You can run round the lower field for free. It’s up to you.
I know for certain that the people who are trainers there charge significantly less to train ppl at the stadium as opposed to at a gym. THere are trainers there who charge $5, some $15 per person. If that money is now being paid to the stadium…the trainer makes practically nothing!
OMG!!!! Government YOU ARE TAKING EVERYTHING! Give it a d@mN re$T already, geez. Parking! Venues! Soon you’re going to have to pay to WALK across the d@mN street.
Irritated, struggling person!
WHoosah………………………..
So go onto the lower field and exercise for free.
Talk about a first world problem. It’s a big problem for you having to pay to run on a running track? Run around a field then. And get a freakin life.
Well done OBA!!!! Bravo!
how is that an OBA decision, the stadium is not owned by the government you moron
You sir are wrong. It is 100% owned by the government and the Board is appointed by the government.
Methinks you are the Moron here.
The NSC is actually a quango. Lawyered.
These spilt offs are made to make people fear the government.
just like BLDC or in the USA FED. they do it to make tax payers forget that at the end out the day thire hard work payed for everything. and the GOV must server the People not the other way around.
In reality I doubt they will charge the individual runner, this is likely aimed at the running groups/clubs. There is no way it is economical to hire someone to patrol the stadium to charge individuals.
In reality the running clubs shouldn’t expect free use of the track, individuals yes, but clubs – likely not.
If you truly can’t afford to pay then just use the tarmc on the North field. That is still free, problem solved.
For now…
PS they will now have to hire security and a person to collect the funds and keep out the persons who will try and sneak in….. All the money made will be spent to keep administration, security and saleries. Also if we are now paying, we should expect,no DEMAND open and clean bathrooms, fresh drinking water, First aid equipment, a medic on hand, you know the things one will expect when paying for a venue. It will not be enough to charge your facilty must now reflect a paid venue. Ensure that you present more than just a “facility” you provide quality service. We all understand that we are in tough times, the answer can not just be charge the public for EVERYTHING. The Board of Directors should be challenged with Creative ways to make revenue. We are the easy option. Get to work and devise a strategy of how you can generate revenue. I am tired of getting fleeced everywhere I go on this Darn island.
@SAD, the bathrooms are open every night until the 9pm closing time. They are also cleaned every night. There are water fountains on the property that provide you with fresh drinking water. I have to question if you actually use the stadium because if you did, you would already know all of this. As for the other things, how much do you want for your $8? Really? You can’t even buy a hambuger and fries for $8 but you want medical. Come on man, be for real. LOL
All everyone has to do is boycott the use of the field n boycott the pool! Bang! It’s too much robbing Peter to pay Paul going on! Everyone boycott the field they want you to pay to use and use the one they are leaving free for use! Stand together Bermudians!
Can’t really boycott something that is currently closed and locked!
@Okayman. When is the last time you have been up the sadium? The gates along Robert’s Ave are open from 6:30am to 9:00pm at night and is currently open for anyone to use. You obviously don’t know what you’re talking about. Try getting up from the couch once in a while to actually go there to see for yourself.
@No big Deal::::: SEAN is that you?? lol
@SAD, Nah mon, just some one who knows a thing or two about a thing or two. LOL
They are not charging for access to 600m on the north field. The purpose of charging is to discourage people with strollers, dogs or walkers from using the track and damaging it. And to raise much needed funds to maintain it and eventually replace the track. Very few places in the world let anybody use a track for free. National athletes maybe, but the average runner?
They are also charging clubs that have requested private use of the track. Again that does not seem unfair. Stadiums and sports facilities cost a lot to maintain. If you want it to be free then the government would have to either cut back elsewhere or issue more debt. Or it could go the way of Sandys 360. Or we could reduce the number of teachers I guess.
21st Century summarises many of the reasons why we are at this point. We are now paying for the party. The costs of maintaining the facility have also increased with the addition of the pool.
Also, uncommon elsewhere in the world for facilities like our track to be available to the public free of charge. Most Govt funded sports facilities charge for use. I don’t have a big problem with it, especially now that we have a national facility to be proud of. It looks fantastic.
When you think of the “personal trainers” using these fantastic free facilities and charging $20 a person whislt taking groups of over 10 people, it makes me laugh!!
Do feel for those who can’t afford it, however the north field is both free and safe.
Building big new facilities is sexy for politicians. They can show up at the ribbon cutting and collect the plaudits from the public and bask in the reflected glow of the glorious new taxpayer funded facility.
Maintenance and management of said facilities is not sexy. It is mundane and tiresome and never attracts the same amount of energy and action as that paid to their construction.
I wonder how much long range planning was put into these facilities at the National Stadium. Did the planners consider how they would be funded on an ongoing basis and whether the community was large enough to be able to pay for its ongoing use and upkeep?
What’s happening with Sandys 360? Still closed? Another facility that sounded good in the planning stages but, apparently as recent times have shown, was not feasible to manage in the long term.
@Whats the Alternative:
and if the clubs and people dont pay, and just use over facilites then what??? how will they raise the money?
the stadium is not run by the government people, it is run by a private trust. Dont blame the government.
isn’t it run by a politically appointed board?
This point needs to be reinforced.
You are dumb. Its run by the government!
It’s a trust. And we know who is dumb.
So we blame the PLP for “wasting money” on the facility but now all of a sudden a private trust is calling the shots? OH OKAY.
Hahaha. Really? No, there should not be a charge for use of the main Stadium/Track facilities; because they should not be accessible to the public. Simple!
We paid taxes for these facilities to be put in place for our National Teams and youth programs to have a facility to operate from. Not for Joe runner. Wait, “it’s safe”, “you can judge distance by track length?” Crazy excuses. Bermuda has tons of facilities or natural resource where the same can be offered for the general public. Self entitlement creates an atmosphere where some individuals feel they paid for the facilities so they have the right to use them. Ridiculous; this is a National Stadium.
Last I remember I paid for the Ferries and Buses; still paying to get on them. Go down to the Lower Field for your exercise.
SMH
Its no wonder we always have more DELEGATES than athletes whenever we venture into the international arena..!?!?!
In the Caribbean region I have seen stadiums as ours opened 24-7.
There is always people using them and at different times of the day and night. Those places are also a great avenue to keep kids off the streets.
So then there is a much greater pool of athletes to choose from.
Those kids work hard and if You think what I am saying is rubbish….check
lately how well the Caribbean nations have done in the international
arena.
The facilities are there for them to use and they are not charged fees
to work on the skills.
Its a sad day indeed that we have to pay to use the stadium.
Our next great track champion will come out of the Arboretum..!!
You watch…!!
Well, the stadium has been free all of this time and outside of the registered track clubs (who already pay a fee) I don’t see many youths up there working out on their own. And I’m there almost every day. So I highly doubt that all of a sudden we will get an inflaux of new youths outside the track clubs that will want to train there.
Well my taxes paid for buses and ferries and yet I am still required to pay to use them…
My taxes are being used to pay for the hospital, UCC and the other healthcare facilties, but yet I am still required to pay in some form to use these services..
And what is the big deal? The bottom field which has a perfectly usable track is available as well as the facilities in the lower field. And there are stairs as well…
You people complain just to hear yourselves speak I think.
And if you all think that the swimmers fees are covering the heating bills of the pool then you are living in la-la land.
And not one of you complainers has suggested how to raise revenue to ensure the facility is maintained at its highest level.
I love how these same complainers are advocating for the NSC to conduct and manage their affairs in the same way that Sands 360 did…
Maybe in order to ensure it stays free the NSC Board should look at expenditure reductions (i.e. layoffs)…bet you will complain about that as well…jokers
Not a clue amongst any of you complainers…
Simple solution; boycott the NSC. Go somewhere else.
For many folks I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet just how broke Bermuda is.
Yes this is sad, but the reality is that funds are drying up.
This is merely an illustration of where we are.
We have a couple of years left before the taps get turned off and public infrastructure will start to crumble.
Lets open out minds up to new ideas and act now rather than just talking about it.
If we had saved the million dollars paid to Beyonce we all would be cool now just sayin
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BFp2YFKFfj4
To set the record straight, the NSC is run by Trustees appointed by a Minister of Government. It is not a ‘private trust’ per se – regardless of the misinformation spewed above. The Trustees are appointed under the provisions of an Act of Parliament passed in 1988 and can be ‘over-ruled’ by the public interest clause within that Act. The Trustees are charged with the responsibility, in law, to raise revenue for either capital development or to off-set operational costs. Pay the fee or go somewhere else; it is really that simple. The current Board of Trustees comprises some who were appointed under the PLP and some appointed under the OBA. It is fair and balanced!
Time for Min. Scott to remove “the old PLP Board of Directors and appoint a new one. The “old Board” are doing this to make sure OBA are not re-elected in 2017.
@Norf, the OBA did appoint new board memebers. So now what will your new excuse be? Let’s blame the everything on the PLP. People like you are beyond help.
Soon they’re going to be charging people to run on the roads. Crazy!
boycott,,we paid for this track
You paid for the hospital too. Let me see you there and tell them to give you a free room.
My taxes also paid for the renovations and maintenance at Port Royal and Ocean View golf courses…
But yet I still am forced to pay a fee to play on either…
OK- here’s the facts: roads are an essential service, those are included in your tax burden. The use of the track is not the same thing. Though no one wants to hear it, I would bet that some of those moaning about the $8 track charge are also the same folks who spend $10 and more on lunch and coffee each day instead of bringing it from home- it boils down to a matter of priority. If living a healthy lifestyle was as important to some as feeding their pie holes with all manner of junk food, then it wouldn’t be seen as such an affront to pay to use the track. All of this said, $5 a go would be much more palatable, and I bet they’d have a lot of takers.