JetBlue, WestJet to cut flights to Bermuda
Two airlines intend to reduce the number of flights they offer to Bermuda in the coming fiscal year it was announced yesterday.Minister of Transport Terry Lister said WestJet, which flies out of Toronto, and JetBlue, which flies out of New York, have both indicated they plan to reduce their load to Bermuda.“We have committed to sitting down and talking with both those companies and my intent is that by the time we get to the season the air lift will be more than it is currently scheduled to be,” Mr Lister said.He added that Bermudians should make AirTran, out of Baltimore, the airline of choice for medical reasons when flying to Johns Hopkins hospital. The airline will start flying from Baltimore, Washington, in April and Atlanta, Georgia, in May.The Ministry of Transport budget was reduced by eight percent. It will be allocated $76 million in the coming year.The Department of Public Transport, responsible for bus service, has seen it’s budget reduced by $1.3 million, down seven percent from last year.“With regard to the Department of Transport we will provide a more economical bus service with limited resources in the coming year,” Mr Lister said. “Working on the introduction of a new bus schedule, we are 80 percent along, we will have to hire new bus drivers but saving $500,000.”Asked how this would be done, he said the Department would reduce overtime hours by reorganising the shifts and hiring more drivers to cover shifts that would otherwise incur overtime.The ferry service has seen its budget cut by $2.3 million, down 24 percent. It will be allocated $7.5 million in the 201½012 Budget. This includes a $1.8 million reduction in Marine and Ports wages.The Government has also predicted it will earn $645,000 less in revenues from ferry tickets. In the last Budget, Government predicted it would earn $1.9 million from the ferries.However the revised estimate is $1.2 million for the current fiscal year. It has predicted it will earn the same amount in the coming fiscal year.Mr Lister also announced the Ministry would enforce current regulations stipulating what type of trucks can do certain jobs and was working with the new taxi authority to be ready for the coming tourism season.There could be a change in mooring fees as well. Last year the fees rose nearly 90 percent from $79 to $150.This resulted in the Government earning $843,000 in revenue.The Government has projected it will earn $397,000 from mooring fees in the upcoming fiscal year which is $84,000 less than they earned from moorings before hiking the fees for the 2010/2011 Budget.