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MPs praise return of modified Pink Ferry Route service

Opposition Ministers praised the return of weekend and holiday ferry service to Paget and Warwick in the House of Assembly.But Transportation Minister Terry Lister warned that if the public does not take advantage of the service, it could be cancelled again.In April, Government axed the weekend and holiday service on the pink ferry route, which serves Paget and Warwick, in an effort to reduce expenses in the Transportation Department.The decision caused a public outcry, with residents and guests alike complaining about the reduced service. However this week the Ministry announced that it would reintroduce the service as of today, but warned it would not be as regular as in past years. Mr Lister said the ferry service was cut back in Warwick and Paget with the intention that the service would be replaced by a private service.However, speaking to the House of Assembly during motion to adjourn, he said those talks did not yield results. “We thought we had a deal,” Mr Lister said. “Unfortunately, when the answer did come through, it wasn’t a good answer.”Shadow Transportation Minister Patrica Gordon-Pamplin praised the return of the route, saying Mr Lister had listened to public criticism and responded. “That is the type of cooperation that we need to have in this house,” she said.However she criticised what she called an ‘unmitigated disaster’ at Dockyard on Monday, when a reduced schedule caused by the National Heroes Day stranded cruise ship passengers in the West End. Mr Lister admitted that there had been several “bad days” this season, but said that the department is working to ensure that the ferry service runs smoother.UBP Minister Kim Swan asked if the ferry service to and from the East End could be improved, with a ferry docking in St George’s overnight to reduce empty runs to and from the town. Mr Lister responded that he had looked into the possibility, but said there were no locations there to dock the boat. Mr Swan said that there was space next to the Niobe Corinthian, which is docked near the St David’s Ferry stop, but Mr Lister replied: “We are not talking about a piece of acreage, we are talking about where we can keep it secure at night.”He said that Government is still pursuing private water taxis to supplement the ferry system, with talks in progress now for an East End provider, and looking at ways of making the existing ferry system more cost effective. He also said that there would be a fare increase in the future, noting that the last fare increase for the ferries was in 1992. And in another cost cutting possibility, he said the ministry was in talks with the Bermuda Industrial Union to see if they would accept two-man crews instead of three-man crews.