A new transport policy for Dockyard, aimed at levelling the playing field for the private sector, will shortly be put to the test with the arrival of the Norwegian Breakaway.

The policy limits public transportation passes for sale at the Visitor Information Centre to one-day passes, thus promoting taxis and minibuses as the better service for cruise ship visitors.

According to a spokesman for the Ministry of Tourism Development and Transport, the new protocol “would allow more taxis and minibus operators to take advantage of demand for daily transportation to Horseshoe Bay Beach and nearby attractions, and reduce the demand for the bus service”.

“Whenever changes are introduced there is always some level of apprehension.

“However, we feel the new policy is in the best interest of promoting the use of private sector transportation.”

He said that passengers buying two- and three-day public passes could easily end up delayed by the limited number of buses running from Dockyard at half-hour intervals.

“They may also then have to wait long periods for a bus, and then negotiate on foot the steep hill to and from Horseshoe Bay Beach. Taxis and minibuses deliver right down to the beach.”

The new measures will ensure that residents find space on the buses from the West End during cruise ship season, the spokesman added.

The season has strained Dockyard transportation in years gone by, and faces its first challenge with the April 27 arrival of the Breakaway, which has a top capacity of nearly 4,400 passengers and a crew of more than 1,500.

The ministry is monitoring the new arrangement to adjust it if necessary, the spokesman said.

“It is also worth mentioning that the ministry is currently reviewing and considering the implementation of an electronic fare system that will address some of the anomalies we are currently challenged with as a result of using multi-day passes, tickets, tokens and cash as approved fare media.”