Between 40 and 50 passengers rode the new fast ferry between the East End and Hamilton for the third day of the service linking the communities of St. David's and St. George's with the city.

The numbers on Thursday were nowhere near the Warbaby Fox ferry's seating capacity of 350.

Some people have questioned the wisdom of the plush new addition to the Island's ferry fleet providing merely one ferry trip from the East End first thing in the morning and one return from Hamilton in the late afternoon during the winter months.

The stated aim is to encourage commuters to use it as a way to get to and from the city rather than using their cars or motorbikes and even as an alternative to the bus service.

But with departure from St. David's and St. George's between 7.15 and 7.30 a.m. each day and the return trip from Hamilton at 5.20 p.m. it does not appear to offer a great amount of flexibility to commuters with working hours or errands that do not dovetail with the meagre timetable.

Yesterday The Royal Gazette joined early-bird commuters from St. George to Hamilton to find out what they thought of the service and to sample a trip on the catamaran ferry.

"I used to get the bus every day but it got so crowded. I normally start work at nine but I can start when I get there and then leave in time to catch the ferry home," said St. George resident Violette Fox, who expects the ferry to be more popular in the summer.

Fellow passenger Scherene Bailey, of St. David's, has given up driving to town in favour of using the ferry.

"This eases up on gas money. It is $55 a month for a pass compared to $80 a week for gas. I can't see any reason not to use the ferry.

"I start at 8.30 a.m. so it works out perfect and if I end up working late I can call my husband to collect me," she said.

And asked about the difficulty some people might experience fitting their working day to the ferry's strict timetable, she suggested: "If people really want it to work they will work around that.

"If the ferry left any later in the morning it would not work for other people."

The relaxing sensation of sitting back in comfortable surroundings, with the radio quietly playing over the sound system, or occasionally ceiling-mounted TVs bringing the latest news, was commented upon by a number of the passengers.

St. David's resident Paula Durham said: "I normally drive to work but I will use the ferry every day now. It is relaxing, it is piece of mind and you can see more.

"I need to get to work for 9 a.m. but now I get there for 8.30 a.m. it's better. I hope the ferry works for other people. I feel many people are watching to see how it works.

"You can't expect everyone to jump to it right away. People have to change their and agenda and see how it is working."

Hospital worker Dawn Johnson, of St. David's, has already started to reorganise her life around the ferry schedule.

She is able to get in some exercise by walking to and from the ferry dock at St. David's and from the Hamilton terminal to the KEMH, and while she is on the ferry she plans to use the hour of time each way to pack in some studying, leaving her free from study or exercise obligations when she arrives home each night.

She said: "I think managers need to be flexible to make it work. One of my reasons for using it is the worry about Bermuda having so many cars and is ecologically falling in on itself.

"Today is a beautiful morning, it is a lovely way to travel. I really hope that the numbers of commuters pick up.

"There are a lot of people in the East End who work at the hospital but may be put off by the walk from Hamilton to the hospital. Perhaps someone could put on a shuttle to the hospital.

"That sort of thing is a consideration for other companies also, and really managers and individuals need to be a bit more flexible about what people have to do regarding work hours."

Fairmont Hamilton Princess staff member Margaret O'Connor, of St. George's, also talked about the crowded experience of travelling on buses, especially when there are schoolchildren and many workers having to stand for the entire trip to town.

She said: "Normally I get to work early and sit and have breakfast before I start work, now I can bring some breakfast to have on the ferry.

"It is such a relaxing way to get to work, the scenery is great, it's not too busy, and I can look out at my Island. It is relaxing not being held up in traffic."

Another St. George resident Hani Ismail commented: "I used to drive to work, but this is nice not having to worry about traffic, saving money on gas and parking.

"It is like going on a cruise, but then you see Albouys Point and reality bites and you have to get out and go to your cubicle."

She also felt a slightly later return trip time, such as 6.30 p.m. would suit more city workers.

Tim Guertin, from St. George, has swapped the bus for the ferry. He said: "Sometimes I would take a bike but I didn't like all the traffic."

He says he will come to an arrangement with his employer so his work hours more closely match the ferry schedule, or likely use the bus to return home.

Announcing the start of the new ferry service earlier in the week, Premier Ewart Brown said: "I want to commend those passengers who made the decision to utilise the new service.

"Providing residents of the East with a direct commuter route into Hamilton has been a goal of mine since I became Minister of Transport in 1998.

"This new service is one of the most efficient and effective modes of public transportation and I want to encourage all area residents to make this part of their daily routine."

The Department of Marine and Ports is allowing free parking at Ship's (Marginal) Wharf in St. David's and there is a PTB bus service leaving Dennis' Hideaway at 6.55 a.m. with transfers between bus and ferry are free.