A Harbour Road resident has called on the Government to offer alternative transport after the hours were cut for the local ferry line.

Carol Tee suggested that a minibus cover the stops served by the Pink Route ferry.

Ms Tee, who owns an Airbnb near the Belmont Ferry Terminal in Warwick, said it was the Government’s responsibility to support a solution.

She added: “If the Government’s ferries are ailing, which they must have known, they need to put in some other convenient solution and think outside the box.”

The Pink Route was given a reduced schedule on July 28 after being suspended four times since the start of the year.

It will operate between Monday and Friday, leaving Hamilton at 7.15am and cover its morning stops before returning to Hamilton at 8.45am.

It will not leave again until 3.45pm, making its rounds around Paget and Warwick at 4.30pm, 5.20pm and 6.20pm until settling at 6.50pm.

Owen Darrell, the transport minister, previously told the House of Assembly that the ferries operating the route — the Georgia, Corona and Coralita — were all beyond their intended 30-year design life span.

Ms Tee said that her property, where she also lives, was at present hosting two seniors and close friends.

She said that she “seldom” used the Pink Route ferry and had been transporting her senior guests by car.

However, Ms Tee added that plenty of residents along Harbour Road had come to rely on the ferry route — and were not as fortunate to have their own transportation.

She explained: “I know a lot of people who use the ferry who’ve stayed at my Airbnb, as do several living along Harbour Road.”

She added: “Elderly people, people of all ages, they can’t walk ten minutes up Keith Hall Road for the bus.

“Keith Hall Road doesn’t have sidewalks, so they think it’s dangerous.

“Some American tourists were concerned about our traffic while walking on the road.

“They did walk on the road from the ferry, but it’s a wider road and they can see the traffic.”

Ms Tee said she was “devastated” last week to hear of cuts to the Pink Route.

She said the route had been in service for at least 30 years and that her children once relied on it for school.

Ms Tee added: “They didn’t seem to look out for us — they just say ‘oh, we’re cancelling it, and blow everybody else’. That’s terrible.”

A Letter to the Editor in the Wednesday edition of The Royal Gazette from the manager of a guesthouse warned that the reduction of the service would discourage visitors to the area.

The writer said that a guest complained that the Department of Marine and Ports treated area residents like "second-class citizens".

A spokeswoman for the Department of Transport said that the decision to reduce the schedule had been driven by “urgent mechanical issues” that required immediate action.

She added: “While community input is always valued, in this case, the priority was to restore service as quickly and, most importantly, safely as possible.”

The spokeswoman said the revised schedule had been based on public usage patterns and the limitations of the aged boats.

She explained: “Data showed that the highest demand for the Pink Route occurs during morning and evening commute hours.

“By concentrating service during these peak periods, the department aimed to maximise public benefit while minimising strain on the vessels.”

The spokeswoman added: “Reducing midday operations allows the ferries essential downtime, helping to prevent further mechanical issues and extend their service life.

“This approach strikes a balance between meeting commuter needs and preserving the fleet until long-term upgrades can be implemented.”

The spokeswoman said the Department of Public Transportation ordered two new ferries from Strategic Marine, a shipbuilder based in Singapore, with the delivery expected by late 2025.

The spokeswoman added that the Government was not pursuing alternative operations and that a minibus would not be “economically feasible”.

She said: “The focus remains on maintaining and optimising existing services, including the Pink Route ferry, while exploring long-term solutions that balance cost, efficiency and community needs.

“The ministry continues to welcome public input as part of future transport planning.”