With an estimated 10,000 cruise visitors and crew coming ashore at peak times, Dockyard cannot cope, the Bermuda Taxi Operators Association has said.

Responding to a recent story in The Royal Gazette about improvements to tourist transport in Dockyard, the BTOA’s Randy Broadbelt said the situation is still not optimal.

He said geography is part of the challenge, because ports in Bermuda are placed at opposite ends of the island.

“While the ports themselves cannot move, the scheduling of cruise and air arrivals could be adjusted,” he said. “Staggering these arrivals would allow the industry to better allocate resources, improving efficiency and customer experience.”

Such measures would fall under the remit of the Ministry of Tourism, Transport, Culture and Sport, he said.

“While the Bermuda Land Management Corporation has since hired additional staff to manage the increased passenger numbers from the cruise ships, the broader issue lies in infrastructure, personnel and transport capacity at the ports, which are simply not adequate for the daily volume of arriving passengers,” Mr Broadbelt said.

He said there are six to ten port staff, 550 active taxis, 200 active minibuses and one public and one private ferry for Norwegian Cruise Line passengers only.

“Even if every available taxi, minibus and ferry were dedicated solely to the cruise ports, the system could move only 5,000 to 6,000 passengers at once,” Mr Broadbelt said.

In January, the BLMC introduced a permit system for all vehicles entering the cruise ship pier in Dockyard, which included a code of conduct

“I appreciate that changes take time to implement,” Mr Broadbelt said.

However, he said service gaps are inevitable, especially considering the PSV industry also serves the entire island including international business, hotels, restaurants, the airport, dispatch companies and the general public.

“This is why some customers, especially at the ports, experience wait times or confusion about transport options,” he said.

He added that the BTOA and its members stand ready and committed to servicing the public, visitors and stakeholders across the island, despite the challenges they face.

“We believe that with continued collaboration between government, industry partners and operators, Bermuda can achieve higher service levels and ensure visitors leave with a positive transport experience,” he said.