The One Bermuda Alliance said the Government should consider reinstating ferry service to St George after an abrupt suspension for dock work this month.

Susan Jackson, the Shadow Minister of Transport, said the halting of the ferry service during the cruise ship season threatened businesses and made it more difficult for visitors to reach the town.

“In February, the transport minister stood in the House of Assembly and declared the successful relaunch of the Orange Route ferry between Dockyard and St George’s,” she said.

“Just six months later, St George’s residents have become victims of false promises and it’s a failure for the Ministry not to consider all aspects of continuous service in the height of the tourist season.

“The government has threatened the business community’s livelihood and disappointed visitors and locals alike who want to travel to St George’s by sea.

“It is unacceptable for the minister to publicly make assurances only to do an about face without any forewarning.”

Ms Jackson added that the OBA expects the Government to reconsider the suspension of service and communicate its plans to bolster public transport to St George immediately.

Thomas Harvey, OBA candidate for St George’s West, said it was “refreshing” to hear the area’s PLP MPs voice their concerns about the ferry suspension, but more should have been done by Government to ensure the town’s continued viability.

“For the Government to stop the St George’s Ferry Route at the height of the tourist season smacks of the poorest planning one can witness,” he said.

“Were there no other alternatives? Could not the ferry dock at another berth in St George until the work has been completed?

“It would seem that St George's is the proverbial ‘stepchild’ and is being treated as such. Surely there is a solution that can be acted on right away.”

The Government suspended the ferry service to St George on August 8 citing the need to carry out work on the dock at Hunter’s Wharf.

It was said that work was expected to begin on August 17, but the St George’s Stakeholder Committee – a group of businesses in the town – said work only appeared to begin on Tuesday, about two weeks after the service halted.

The work was expected to take five weeks to complete.

A spokesman for the committee said: “We communicated our concerns and needs to Renée Ming, MP for St George’s East, last week Wednesday and sent some ideas for alternative solutions for operating the ferry.

“We don’t believe that any other transportation options, other than the ferry, would be time or cost effective or have the ability to get a similar amount of guests to our historic town.

“We remain open and hopeful for effective solutions as a lack of resolve in this situation would be catastrophic for our community.”

Lieutenant-Colonel David Burch, the Minister of Public Works, said that while the work would ideally have been carried out during the off season, the current state of the dock had put the health and safety of passengers at risk.

A spokesman for the ministry later said other potential docking locations in the town faced the same safety challenges as Hunter’s Wharf.

“The bow loading operation is the safest means by which to on-board and disembark passengers,” he said. “All other locations in St George will create the same challenges.”