Jay Lloyd's Getaway: Bermuda's Logistical Crush
For more than half a century, KYW's Jay Lloyd has had a special relationship with Bermuda. Now, he reports, there's trouble in that paradise.
by Jay Lloyd
KYW Newsradio 1060
The Bermuda Isles, with their British flair, were my home for nearly five years. There have been many changes in the last half decade, but none so dramatic as we see now.
There is a clash for space between residents and visitors that could have been predicted.
Many visitors now arrive via mega-cruise ships, which cannot be accommodated in St. George's or Hamilton, the capital. As a result, thousands of tourists are deposited at Dockyard, the old British naval base that might as well be the end of the earth.
From Dockyard, the transportation to attractions, beaches, restaurants, and Hamilton are an exorbitant cab ride, an inconvenient ferry ride (whose schedule continues to diminish), or a crowded bus. Most opt for the bus.
But residents of Bermuda also depend on the bus service to get to work. Now, the government had directed that tourist service from Dockyard be limited, so locals will not be stranded.
Until the Bermuda transport ministry comes up with a better idea, cruise ship visitors may be spending a lot more time dockside at Dockyard instead of at Bermuda's fabled pink beaches.
