Fix the ferries, please
We were pleased to hear Premier Dr. Orlando Smith promise last week that his government is working to improve the territory’s ferry system as a “matter of urgency.”
On the other hand, the community has been hearing similar promises from successive governments for more than two decades with few results.
This time, leaders should take meaningful action. The issue is particularly important now, when air access to the territory is increasingly limited, as Dr. Smith and his colleagues have pointed out repeatedly as they push their plans to expand the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.
The current state of the ferry system is shameful. Long delays are common, as are other largely preventable problems: Schedules change at the last minute with little or no notice; engines fail; passengers are delivered to the wrong port with no explanation; ferry personnel compete for customers at the docks; and some crewmembers are shockingly rude, to name a few examples.
Then there is the issue of safety. Recent years have seen close calls.
Last month, for example, a ferry travelling from Anegada to Tortola sent out an emergency call after it began taking on water. And in 2007, passengers had to be evacuated after another ferry ran aground on a reef near Charlotte Amalie.
Without substantive reform, it may be only a matter of time before a tragedy occurs that could cost lives and severely damage the territory’s reputation as a tourist destination.
Moving forward, collaboration will be crucial.
Currently, some ferry companies employ business tactics that go far beyond healthy competition. We urge them to do better, working together to serve the public.
Meanwhile, the government should facilitate such collaboration and commit to properly regulating the industry. The BVI Ports Authority, for instance, should work with other government agencies to ensure that ferry companies follow existing rules and schedules; that their boats are in good working order and equipped with the necessary safety equipment; and that captains are properly trained and fit for the position, among other steps.
Elected leaders should lend their support as well, rather than exacerbating the problems by meddling inappropriately as some of them have in the past. Legislators should also review existing laws governing the ferry system and reform them where necessary.
Last week, the premier touted recent efforts to bolster the tourism product. But those efforts will be useless if visitors can’t get here safely and conveniently.
Fixing the dysfunctional ferry system, then, should be a top priority.
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