As the Government continues a decades-old battle to fix Bermuda’s transportation system, a group of service providers are about to quietly celebrate the anniversary of a reliable taxi service that has been growing in popularity.

Bermuda boasts scenic assets as a tourist destination, yet its public transportation drawbacks for a 21-square-mile paradise have been puzzling.

The drawbacks include scheduling limitations to ferry and bus services, especially on Sundays and holidays; troubles moving the vast numbers of cruise ship passengers; and the long waits and high expense of taxi service.

Historically, rain, time of day or night, location and/or destination could work against someone really needing a cab.

While government officials continue preparations for a controversial rideshare programme as the latest solution, November 12 marks the third year in operation of a taxi service that has been quietly growing organically.

When two Bermuda Taxi Owners and Operators Association executive members began the programme, they were told to shut it down. Instead, they grew the Hotel Restaurant Cruise and Type 4 A Taxi scheme themselves, without BTOA blessing.

Danielle Brown, an HRC associate, said: “By now, this is a well-oiled machine. The ‘live location’ is a key factor to its success.”

Astrid Clarke, fellow HRC associate, agrees: “We are very strict on drivers using their live location. We know it’s effective because we see them using it outside of the HRC.”

Kaiwan Trott, lead HRC associate, said: “It became popular very quickly within the taxi industry. Over the three years, our administration has lessened as drivers followed the rules.

“We sit with the hoteliers or companies, show them the app in operation and they immediately realise its value.”

HRC associate Ken Looby said: “This is a game changer. Any hotel not using the HRC probably has guests waiting extended periods for taxis. The frontline hotel/restaurant workers using HRC know that someone is on the way within ten minutes.”

Longtime taxi driver Shari-Lynn Pringle explained the HRC/T4AT service is free for everyone: “All you are paying for is your taxi fare. Nobody is making any money off this. T4AT is free. Once you download the Telegram app and join the group, it’s easy to get a taxi or schedule a pick-up for later. You don’t even call; you just text.”

There is no cost associated with being a part of the service for taxis, either, because it is not a dispatch company but simply uses the free technology of the Telegram app.

Ms Pringle said the drivers still get access to the variety of jobs including on-demand, prearranged, airport runs, tours and private hire.

She said: “It has been amazing to watch it grow and succeed. The HRC or individual simply needs to specify what they want and when they want it. The ‘live location’ feature is used to prove that a driver is near by and en route. This reduces the chances of delays or missed pick-ups due to our internal rules.

“There is no portal required; the HRC or individual simply types in a request and a driver responds.”

HRC is made up of hotel, restaurant, retail or cruise ship industry workers who use the messaging app in their own loop, posting jobs and texting for clients who need a taxi under the HRC portion. The drivers even talk to each other, for example, to advise on traffic conditions or additional taxi needs at certain locations.

The service was originally designed for hoteliers who had difficulty getting taxis when needed. It works so well, it was immediately extended to the general public.

But individuals seeking a taxi just need to use the Type 4 A Taxi section, texting where they are and where they are going, adding details such as “paying with a credit card”. The nearest taxi responds and its location can be identified.

There are administrative agents to help the process along, especially for hotels and restaurants. The only charge comes from the taxi meter.

The Government is still working on its controversial, pilot ridesharing programme that will grant up to 150 permits for private cars. The BTOA has complained the idea for the new scheme was agreed despite a failure to enforce existing policies.

Last month, the Bermuda Tourism Authority revealed that airline seat capacity has returned to 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, but a 25 per cent reduction in hotel inventory and slower passenger recovery — only 83 per cent of 2019 traffic — dampen demand.

Added hotel capacity next year, including the 593-room Fairmont Southampton, will expose the extent of progress officials have, or have not, made in improving ground transportation in Bermuda.

Years of confusion at the cruise ship ports, together with taxi industry infighting, still leave a recently released tourism exit survey citing internal transportation as one of the significant obstacles left standing in the way of returning tourism to its potential.

Every effort to unite taxi owners and operators seems to have driven them farther apart.

What began as an attempt to settle on an advanced, GPS-enabled central dispatching system, in 2001 during the era of Ewart Brown as transport minister, became a squabble over the shrunken tourism market share.

In 2025, during which several attempts have been made by The Royal Gazette to seek clarity from the Government, officials still cannot say if their policies, mixed with warring camps in taxi dispatch, are able to address the big issues that have beset the industry.