Government chose to put a new ferry site in Southampton over Warwick because the West End site was more passenger friendly and had more space for parking, it emerged in the House of Assembly on Friday.

In response to written questions from Opposition Whip Cole Simons, Transport Minister Dr. Ewart Brown said the new ferry site would be near Rockaway at Tribe Road Number Five in Southampton but that did not mean another ferry dock near Mizzentop could not be considered in the future.

Mr. Simons asked the Minister why the new ferry stop will be placed at Rockaway rather than Mizzentop since the latter site would serve the densely populated areas of Cedar Hill, Longford Hill, Hill View and Tamarind Vale.

Dr. Brown said: "The major advantages of the Tribe Road Number Five site include a short driving distance to the main road, close walking distance to the Rockaway condominiums and a proposed senior citizen housing complex, potentially good interface with the proposed mixed-use development at the old Naval Annex site and the availability of land for parking.

"The Rockaway/Tribe Road Number Five site offers the potential to accommodate 50 car parking spaces initially, with plans to increase that number to 100 in the future.'' He noted that a 1999 survey showed 56 percent of residents said parking at ferry terminals would encourage people to use the ferry service.

But the decision to place the new ferry terminal at the Rockaway site does not preclude placing a terminal at the Mizzentop site in the future, he stressed.

Dr. Brown said: "The Mizzentop site, however, offers little possibility for parking, has a relatively low residential density within walking distance and is exposed to high seas. Nevertheless, the site will be examined as to its potential as a ferry stop.'' Meanwhile, two possible ferry dock sites are being looked at in St. George's, Dr. Brown said.

One site is adjacent to the Belco/Corporation of St. George's car park while the other is at Hunter's Wharf.

Dr. Brown noted that a community meeting took place on Thursday night and feedback from residents and a preliminary engineering assessment would determine the final location for the ferry stop.

Dr. Brown also revealed that service to the Bermuda International Airport would not be included in the initial phases of Bermuda's new ferry system.

He said: "Once we inaugurate ferry service to the initial markets, which include Dockyard, Hamilton, Sandys, Southampton, and St. George's, we will assess whether the potential exists to serve new markets, including the airport.''