A decision not to allow Town Cut to be widened in order to accommodate mega-cruise ships has earned the praise of St. George?s Mayor Mariea Caisey.

Ms Caisey told last week that she is elated at the news from the Bermuda National Trust that Government does not intend to widen the eastern access to St. George?s Harbour.

?I am happy about that because not only would it affect the environmental aspect but our infrastructure would not be able to take it,? Ms Caisey said. ?The East End will not suffer that much. If anything it will benefit from it.?

Ms Caisey also said she hoped Tourism and Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown would carry out his ?due diligence? by providing a fast ferry to St. George?s to ensure visitors could continue to enjoy the World Heritage Site.

?We don?t want to overcrowd visitors,? she said. ?We have to work together to find a solution to the problem.?

She said she hopes smaller cruise ships, like those that currently fit through Town Cut, will continue to visit the Old Town and she pointed out that not all cruise visitors enjoy travelling on the larger, post-Panamax style of cruise ship.

While Ms Caisey conceded that the Corporation of St. George?s could lose out on wharfage fees by limiting potential cruise ships to the town, she still felt it was the right decision for St. George?s.

However, former Mayor Henry Hayward was less certain of the wisdom of the decision.

He said St. George?s needs cruise ships, particularly with no visible progress being made at the site of the former Club-Med hotel.

Mr. Hayward ? who is also the president of WM. E. Meyer & Co ? said businesses in the East End may lose out.

?Although the big Panamax ships will go to the West End and we will have a fast ferry to here, there is nothing like having them tied up alongside,? Mr. Hayward said. ?The crew also spends money.?

He also questioned how long the smaller cruise ships would continue to choose St. George?s.

?I know the has been sold, so that will not be coming here next year,? he said.

?The Corporation will lose out because it gets wharfage fees from the ships.?

He said the streets of the Old Town are ?dead? whenever the cruise ships are not in port.

?It?s supposed to be historic and all that sort of thing, but it?s supposed to be busy too,? Mr. Hayward said.