Food and drink will return to the ferries - if someone comes to Government with a firm proposal.

The Little Venice Group, which was the granted concessions contract last year, stopped providing services to commuters last October when the cruise ship season ended because it was not economically viable.

Vending machines were then brought on to the fast ferries to maintain some level of service but it is understood the Ministry of Transport is keen to get the staffed services going again.

Director of Marine and Ports Services Barry Coupland revealed that the two state-of-the-art $2.5 million fast ferries set to arrive in Bermuda in May will have space for a concessions stand and Government is hoping somebody will come forward to run them.

"If a Bermudian company or individual were to come forward with a plan to run a concessions stand then I think Government would give it a good reception," said Mr. Coupland, who yesterday revealed that a trial East End commuter run could be introduced next May.

"I would love to see that happen. But it has been the case before that although people say they want a concessions stand, when it has been in place it hasn't been supported.

"That is why the previous service was withdrawn."

He also revealed that he had a "number of people" come into his office to discuss the possibility of offering some form of food or beverage service on the ferries and although they were invited to return with a firm business plan, none have yet done so.

When it first became apparent that the Little Venice Group was unable to offer a year-round concession service, Transport Minister Ewart Brown said he was prepared to be flexible because it was a new venture and the company was acting in good faith.

As well as the concessions on the ferry and a stand at the airport, the Little Venice Group operate a chain of multi-cultural restaurants across the Island.

La Trattoria manager Nicky Russo said that journeys on the ferries were too short to warrant staffed concessions stands and that even a stand offering limited products at the Hamilton Ferry terminal was not supported.

"We tried a cart at the terminal but we didn't make enough to cover the cost of someone to man it for a day," he told The Royal Gazette.

"There is not the demand for food and drink on the ferries, even in the summer with tourists. Even the vending machines were not proving that popular and in the winter will be even less so.

"In the evenings locals are going home for their dinner and don't want anything and in the mornings it is the same problem because they have just had their breakfast. The demand simply isn't there."

He also said that the vending machines had been vandalised, with the machine on the Resolute having glass smashed as recently as Thursday, another cost to an already decreasingly viable service.

When asked his response to Government's plea for someone to come forward to run concessions stand, he said: "When the contract is up, and I am not sure when that is, it is up to the Government what they want to do for the future."

Transport Minister Ewart Brown has said the ferry service would be back to normal by Monday with the exception of the East End service.

A ferry service was arranged for St. George's and St. David's after the Causeway was closed for repairs and Dr. Brown said the two new ferries that are due to arrive in May could possibly accommodate that route.

"We can't plan to continue with that route based on an emergency," he said.

Dr. Brown said the ferries Serenity and Resolute had worked hard transporting thousands of passengers this week due to the Jazz Festival being held at Dockyard.

"If Serenity and Resolute were people they would be complaining of fatigue. They've been worked very hard," the Minister quipped.