Please be patient as I share my impressions and concerns as a visitor to you Island

I just received my estimate for my family’s upcoming and returning stay in Salt Kettle. It was nice news.
We had waited to visit Bermuda for two years, the Covid years but began our visits with a beautiful first visit for Christmas 21, and again March this year.
We told our friends about our wonderful visits and how beautiful Bermuda is, especially the friendly friendliness of the people and the natural beauty of the landscape and the harbors, especially the use of the Ferry for normal transportation to and from Hamilton, from Salt Kettle.

I read The Royal Gazette as well as Bernews each morning.
I was just about to respond to our lodging estimate yesterday morning, April 20. We invited our daughter and her husband to stay nearby across the road from us in Salt Kettle, each for ten nights.

I read the papers and was surprised and greatly saddened. I read the details and watched the Ministers video, about the change of schedule for the Pink FerryRoute. This includes the original plan to suspend the service entirely.

I will now need to suspend my reservations in Salt Kettle, while considering this news. We used the Ferry multiple time daily, day and evening, along with many others people form various stops. Yes, we have used the Bus and Taxi also if absolutely necessary, as it quite limiting

The ‘Pink Ferry’ is a charm and uniquely Bermuda. Just seeing it go bye in the inner Harbor, reflects Bermuda.
The Minister of Transport, Mr Lawrence Scott’s rationale is clear and seems well considered if you boil down the entire Pink Route to dollars and cents. It does take dollars and cents to run it. The basis was ridership numbers. I’m hoping his ridership numbers accurately include “Passess” and children of pre-ticket age..

As services are degraded it is evident ‘ridership’ will fall off. This is a self fulfilling outcome; as services decrease, awareness and ridership will. What effect this will have on the residents, Guest Houses, marketing and tourism in that area is far less known. It likely won’t be ‘plus’. Eventually it could justify the end of the Pink Ferry Route

Many destinations have beaches, trails, nice shops, nice homes, and especially very nice and friendly people. Welcoming people. The bus drivers, taxi drivers, shop keepers and staff, and the people at the Perot post office who did such an outstanding job.
‘Few places’ have Harbor Ferries that provide simple sights and sounds, and a natural ‘on-water’ experience to do routine travel, bringing people across your wonderful harbor.
Early morning Ferry travel to Hamilton, late evening trips back, even with the somewhat limited current schedule, allows people on that side of the Harbor to feel part of the harbor and participate in the Bermuda experience. Being on the Ferry is seeing and feeling the water and the waves and wind as it came from the ocean. The Harbor Ferries, Pink Route in particular IS an actual postcard of Hamilton Harbor… of Bermuda.

The families, guest houses, and visitors already scheduled to visit Bermuda will be quite dssappointed to find the advertised Ferry Stops and Schedules limited and impractical. Rendered a thing of the past and something that cannot be functionally used or enjoyed.
This is a very unfortunate development.

I would like to say that the dates given showing poor Pink Route ridership are basically the Covid years. It also reflects a schedule that had been reduced, as I understand. It will certainly change, at least in potential, people who would choose to visit in the area across from Hamilton

I would humbly propose the following:
1. The Pink Route schedule remain as is it now in order to conduct a formal ‘study’ going forward. The next three years would be this study… (It took years shut down visitors, tourists, families visiting loved ones, due to Covid).
2. The study would be looking and analyzing ‘forward’, in line with Bermuda’s increased focus on increasing visitors and tourism.
3. This time would allow and encourage families, guest houses, and rentals, as well as visitors to be more aware and encouraging of the Pink Ferry Route, as well as the restart and use of the other Ferry Routes making Bermuda special. This is even a request of the Minister Mr. Scott in his presentation; to increase ridership.
4. After the Covid years fade, hopefully… and island visitation regains strength, the three years would be represent an honest effort to assess the status of the Ferry System usage.
5. Then Pink Ferry could be more accurately assessed as to its financial expense/income, making sure the “Passes” are counted for the frequent riders, as well as children of a pre ticket age also.
6.However, the true”Value”, to Bermuda, of the Ferries and Pink Ferry Inner Harbor route in particular, is incalculable to the essence of the Bermuda experience in the Hamilton Harbor.
The Ferries are a special and unique part of Bermuda.
Bermuda is a special place.

Respectfully submitted,
Ken Higgins
New York State

And that’s before we discuss the notion of public services and the rampant fiscal incompetence of the PLP.

Now that people are returning to work, those numbers are going up again, to pre-covid levels and higher.

Please rethink your revisions

So pander to the few cruise ship tourists we have (who do not spend money on shore) and cut services to locals to make up the cost. Typical.