A commuter ferry service linking the East End with Hamilton could become reality as early as next May.

Marine & Ports Services director Barry Coupland revealed the post-Fabian emergency ferry schedule had demonstrated a "clear need" for a regular service linking St. George's and St. David's with the rest of the Island and that new ferries arriving next year could operate on that route.

He also revealed Government are considering taking up an option on a third $2.5 million vessel, with the purchase of a larger version of the cutting edge foil catamaran a possibility in order to run an Airport-only service.

But Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown went a step further, stating that he believed that a fourth ferry may also need to be bought to fully service all the routes, including this new link.

In the immediate aftermath of the hurricane, fast ferries were pulled off the Dockyard and Rockaway routes to provide a vital service between the East End and Hamilton while the Causeway was not fully open.

Although this led to a "denigration" in the service on the Somerset and inner harbour routes, it gave Government a valuable insight into the viability of this new link.

"One of the things that Fabian showed was how sensitive Bermuda is to the Causeway," Mr. Coupland told The Royal Gazette.

"It highlighted the desirability of attracting Bermudian commuters and tourists away from a dependence on roads.

"What Fabian did was show quite dramatically that services to and from the East End are warranted.

"Fabian showed us a real need for what was already on the Government agenda. Perversely, Fabian has done us a favour from a conceptual planning point of view."

The two new ferries, currently being built in Tasmania, were originally intended to replace the 17-year-old vessels Deliverance, Patience and Sea Venture on the Somerset route and to act as support ships to cover the other fast ferries, Serenity and Resolute, on the Dockyard and Rockaway routes when they are undergoing routine maintenance.

However the new vessels, capable of operating at higher speeds (33.8 knots) than the existing fast ferries, would also be able to service a commuter route between the East End and Hamilton.

As well as operating a commuter route servicing St. George's and St. David's, the possibility of operating an airport-only service is on the Government's wish list, subject to work on developing a suitable docking area at Ferry Reach or Stonecrusher's Point.

"The possibility of introducing a service just for the Airport is something that has been talked about," continued Mr. Coupland.

"Work would be needed on a docking area and we would have to think about what type of boat we would need for that service.

"You would have to take into account the number of passengers that a jumbo could drop at the Airport at one time and take into account things like luggage.

"These things are at an early stage and will be subject to a lot of further discussion."

Mr. Coupland believes that if a ferry service was to be introduced on an East End commuter route, it would only be as a trial at first.

"Fabian showed us a clear need for the service but we also saw that as the Causeway became more accessible, loads on the ferries dropped," he continued.

"We would need to be convinced that there is support for such a service if we were to introduce it on a permanent basis.

"A commuter service by boat needs to match the same road route for reliability and time and during the post-Fabian operation we have been operating a 50-minute journey time when it is only 40 minutes by road normally.

"What has been shown is that the St. George's commuter route is alive and well providing the transit compares to the road.

"But if the Ministry of Transport evaluation shows that such a service will be supported then it is feasible that a pilot operation could commence next year.

"If it is not supported, and the boats are half-empty, it will not be continued. The people in St. George's need to realise that if Government provides the service it is up to the people of St. George's to support the service."

Dr. Brown is equally positive that the new service will be introduced as soon as it is feasible and revealed that a stopping service from the East End was also in the Government's plans.

"There is no question that the recent events following Fabian have forced us to reconsider the allocation of the new boats," admitted Dr. Brown.

"But we haven't yet finalised our plans although before the end of the year, things should be clear.

"If we are to properly operate this route, and all the others, we are probably going to need an additional two boats.

"We want to do it (introduce the commuter route) but only if the demand isn't just Fabian demand.

"On the Eastern End of the system we would be looking at an Airport-only route but also an express service to St. George's and maybe one stopping in Flatts."

Currently a leisure route between Hamilton, Dockyard and St. George's operates in the afternoons while occasional services have been laid on during the Christmas period in the past.

The emergency schedule is still in place with one fast ferry operating between Hamilton and St. George's although this will cease when the Causeway fully re-opens next week. Other routes will then return to full capacity.