travel, newly released figures show.

According to Marine and Ports Services 53,191 people used the ferry system in July, down 2,440 people. That is a four percent decrease compared to last year when 59,256 rode the waves in July 1998.

Figures for the Hamilton/Paget/Warwick run show a 23 percent decrease in riders under last year, with just 17,195 people taking to the water transport in July 1999 compared to 22,300 in 1998.

So far this year there have been 110,093 rides through the central parishes, and 175,085 runs to the west end.

On the Sandys Parish run to Dockyard, Boaz Island, Somerset Bridge, there was an eight percent increase of 2,665 rides over last years figures of 33,331.

For the west end run, there were 35,996 rides during July.

In all the department recorded 286,015 rides from January to the end of July.

The Marine and Ports Services' special summertime Dockyard/St. George's run attracted 3,997 rides during July, a 38 percent increase from 2,894 rides to the same time last year.

Department statistics also show that 25,777 rides involved the use of monthly passes or 48 percent of the total.

In the Paget/Warwick run, monthly passes were used 6,196 times or 36 percent of the total runs, and in the Sandys run, 19,581 passes or 54 percent were used.

The Department attributed the downturn to the loss of the large hotel on the Warwick run and to an overall decline in visitor air arrivals.

CHART Ferry travel drops: A drop in the number of people using the ferry in July has been attributed to the closure of the Belmont Hotel.