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By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online
To refer to this file use "bermuda-online.org/getround" as your Subject
New residents and locals should refer to Bermuda
Road Transport for Locals.
Visitors are not allowed by the Bermuda Government to rent automobiles or operate any other kind of four or more wheeled vehicle on Bermuda's roads, or bring their own motorized 2-wheel vehicles - not even for the handicapped or disabled. Why not? Your safety, on unfamiliar, often narrow, winding, sharply twisting roads, is cited. Another is Bermuda's very small physical size - less than 21 miles in total land area and sixth largest population per square mile in the world, higher than in Bangladesh and Bahrain and exceeded only by Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Macao, Monaco, Singapore and Vatican City (all of which do have rented cars available for visitors). Nor are visitors, even when they have driving licenses issued by their home state or province or country, allowed to drive any relative's cars in Bermuda. Foreign drivers licenses are not legal in Bermuda.
Bermuda has by far more vehicles per square mile than anywhere else in the world - all of which must be insured for at least 3rd Party by a Bermudian insurance company licensed and registered to offer insurance business.
A free print guide helps Bermuda's visitors find their way around. It includes maps of the City of Hamilton, Royal Naval Dockyard, Town of St. George and more. It has stops for the services shown below, including bus and ferry stops, gas stations and where to park. Copies are available from Visitors Service Bureaus.
In order of preference
| Mode | Used by air passengers | Used by cruise passengers | Total |
| Taxi | 89% | 59% | 78% |
| Bus (public) | 52% | 65% | 57% |
| Ferry | 42% | 42% | 42% |
| Scooter or moped | 44% | 16% | 35% |
| Minibus | 22% | 19% | 21% |
| Airport limo | 30% | 30% |
| Mode | Taxi | Bus | Ferry | Scooter/moped | Airport Limo |
| Schedule frequency | 75% | 67% | 82% | ||
| Punctuality | 82% | 81% | 90% | 91% | |
| Accessibility/convenience to non-handicapped | 87% | 85% | 88% | 92% | |
| Availability of information | 77% | 83% | |||
| Drivers' skills | 90% | 91% | 86% | 58% | 91% |
| Customer service | 86% | 80% | 84% | 77% | 88% |
| Comfort | 82% | 64% | 67% | 83% | |
| Seating availability | 60% | 77% | |||
| Value for money | 38% | 75% | 88% | 64% | 85% |
Not official, taken by the author in May 2007
| Questions | Air passengers | Cruise ship visitors |
| 1. Should rental cars be allowed? | Yes, 79% | Yes, 67% |
| 2. Should there be another alternative to scooters mopeds? | Yes, 74% | Yes, 69% |
Opinions varied hugely. In 1, air passengers especially say Bermuda should allow what other islands do. Re 2, it seems islands in the Caribbean and Hawaii, parts of Europe and other countries offer small 2-4 seater drive-yourself 4-wheeled alternatives - some are micro cars, 4 feet wide, 8 feet long - not available here because they have been rejected for use by the Ministry of Transport. Huge density and indifferent quality of local traffic was why a minority of visitors expressed some reservations.
If you are going to be on a moped or scooter, or using a bus or taxi, be sure to read the section on Road Traffic in Bermuda Road Transport for Locals.
In 2007, there were more than 4,000 road traffic accidents and more than 13 road fatalities in Bermuda's 21 square miles and 69,400 people. This is a trend that is alarming and starting to affect almost every local family and many visitors.
When involved in any kind of accident involving injury to a person or damage to a vehicle, call the Police at 911. This is particularly important because insurance companies will not entertain claims without a police report. To do so, it is recommended all drivers have a cell phone available. Insurance companies will not honor claims unless there is a Police report. Involved parties should always exchange names, addresses, home and business phone numbers and insurance companies. If you decide to pay for any damage you have caused without calling the Police, have an independent witness to verify the transaction to prevent fraud. Keep your most important ID papers with you. Expect the Police to tell you, if the other driver does not, that the latter is licensed and insured. If not, object and decline to pay any damage yourself or via your insurance company.
Some taxi services also provide this service, using larger taxis, by private arrangement.
None
They
must be examined, passed and re-licensed annually by the Bermuda transport
authority (Transport Control Board), and insured by a Bermudian insurance
company. Auxiliary cycles - rented mopeds
or scooters - on the hugely busy roads are not recommended for
anyone who has not driven them before habitually on the left
hand side of the road.
All who come from the USA, Canada, Europe and other places
will find it very confusing to drive in Bermuda
on the left side -
not the right - of the highway. With all the turn signs on the
"wrong" side also. If you are not
completely used to such vehicles back home in such conditions, most journeys on
a scooter or moped in Bermuda may give you more stress or anxiety than
pleasure.
Mopeds and scooters can be so dangerous to those not accustomed to them that some cruise ships disclaim all responsibility and warn their passengers accordingly.
But for those who decide to rent them anyway, note the following:
It is against the law:
If you are not used to the British way of driving on the left side of the road mentioned earlier, remember to
Local roads often have very heavy traffic - most travel agents overseas will not tell you that Bermuda has more cars and motor vehicles per square mile than anywhere else in the world - and too many people who drive too fast and dangerously, plus they punctuate their journeys by car or scooter or moped with drivers hooting and waving at all their friends passing in opposite directions. Avoid Bermuda weekday rush hours and the "crazy hours" after midnight and other times when young Bermudians drinking or on drugs drive recklessly at high speeds in cars or on pack-racing mopeds, at considerable danger to themselves and other road users. Main roads have been closed completely for up to 7 hours after road accidents. It is dangerous, scary and frightening to locals, immeasurably more so to visitors.
One of the worst things about using a moped or scooter on these hugely crowded roads is the noise factor. Many Bermudians totally ignore Government noise controls on their vehicles and illegally soup up engines on mopeds especially to make them sound as high as a jet aircraft overhead. When these vehicles pass you at illegally high speeds as well, the combination of speeds and noise can easily result in traffic accidents, sometimes severe, or stress, or temporary or permanent loss of hearing or complete deafness.
Several places rent these by the day or week, with safety headgear. See under our Bermuda Employers. With bicycles you can explore much more of the fabled Bermuda Railway Trail than by walking. They are the only vehicles allowed on the Trail. They are allowed to have saddle bags but are not allowed to tow trailers.
Note that in the summer months when the heat and humidity can be very high, cycling in Bermuda can be strenuous. It is not recommended for those not used to regular exercise in heat and great humidity. Nor is it serene, with so many buses, cars, mopeds and scooters and trucks per square mile all anxious to pass you, on such narrow roads. Bermuda is not flat but hilly, with some hills very steep.
There are no country lanes for rural cycling. All roads are urban and the main roads of North Shore Road, South Road, Middle Road and Harrington Sound Road are one lane each way but are Bermuda's equivalent of interstate highways or trunk roads. To avoid holding up licensed motorized traffic, owners of which pay more per square mile for annual licensing than anywhere else in the world, try not to use unlicensed cycles on the main roads during rush hours.
The Buses of Bermuda. Book. 2004, Colin Pomeroy.
The first of Bermuda's new low floor buses arrived in March 2009, dramatically increasing carrying capacity.
Fifteen $300,000 European buses carry slightly fewer seated passengers down from 38 to 32-34 but will allow wheelchair access plus greater standing room, allowing up to 65 people to travel, compared to about 50. Buses are pink and blue, were made initially in the United Kingdom, now in Europe, by prominent manufacturer Berkhof Jonkheere to suit Bermuda's small size main roads. These buses, when not full - as they often are when cruise ships are in local ports - provide a good way to get out and about and see the sights. They are operated by the Bermuda Government's Public Transportation Board). All Bermuda buses run on diesel fuel onlyFares for regular local buses
Payable by local passengers and visitors by air or cruise ship.
Cash Fares
require exact change only. The Cash fare for journeys up to 3
Zones is $3.00, while longer journeys cost $4.50. Drivers do not make change,
and are forbidden from receiving and depositing money in the fare box. Dollar
bills are not accepted.
Tokens are available for 3 and 14 Zones, and are honored on
buses and ferries.
Tickets for 3 and 14 Zones are sold in Booklets of 15, and are honored
on buses only.
Transportation Passes: unlimited number of journeys for all
Zones, and are honored on buses and ferries.
|
Passes |
Adult |
Child |
|
1-day |
$12.00 |
$6.00 |
|
2-day |
$20.00 |
$10.00 |
|
3-day |
$28.00 |
$14.00 |
|
4-day |
$35.00 |
N/A |
|
7-day |
$45.00 |
$17.50 |
Children under Age 5 ride FREE. Cash for ages 5-16 is $2.00 (exact change and no Dollar Bills)
Bus Routes
Route
1 - Hamilton / Grotto Bay / St. George's
Route
2 - Hamilton / Ord Road
Route
3 - Hamilton / Grotto Bay / St. George's
Route
4 - Hamilton / Spanish Point
Route
5 - Hamilton / Pond Hill
Route
6 - St. George's / St. David's
Route
7 - Hamilton / Barnes Corner via South Shore Road
Route
8 & 8C - Hamilton / Barnes Corner; Hamilton / Dockyard;
Hamilton / Somerset via Middle Road
Route
9 - Hamilton / Prospect (National Stadium)
Route
10 - Hamilton / St. George's via North Shore past Aquarium
Route
11 - Hamilton / St. George's via North Shore Road
State your exact destination when paying cash or purchasing tokens or tickets. Visitors using cash, tickets or tokens (not passes) and having to change buses to get to a particular destination should ask the driver of the first bus, as soon as they board, for a transfer, to avoid paying another fare on the second bus. A transfer is valid for 30 minutes for the next scheduled trip of the connecting route and should be presented to the driver of the second bus when boarding. Timetables are available free of charge from the bus terminal in the city of Hamilton and sometimes from drivers as well.
See website for routes, times and fares (tickets, not tokens, are good on the ferries as well). Bus schedules are timed for operators who drive at 35 kph (21 mph).
Buses in Bermuda can be frequent compared to most other urban, town and city places in North America and rural, urban and town places in the United Kingdom. Only in UK cities (not towns) is there a more frequent service. But local buses are not equipped to carry wheel-chair bound or luggage-carrying passengers. Nor do they have the same signs for the disabled or curb-side access.
Buses first appeared in Bermuda in April 1945 as the Bermuda Omni Bus Service, a division of the Bermuda Railway Company. Before then the only public transportation were trains and ferries. The Public Transportation Board (see Bermuda Government Boards) established in 1946 by the Bermuda Government, operates the buses, e-mail info@ptb.bm for specific information about buses and fares. The first female driver was employed in February 1968. Today, there are about 26 ladies and 97 men.
Unlike heavy trucks imported to carry containers, which are too wide for Bermuda's roads, Bermuda's imported buses are designed specifically to fit the roads. But it means they have some restrictions. Note the following:
No paper money is accepted. Only coins or valid passes, tokens and transfers (only at established points).
While one service goes to the airport, it does not take passengers with luggage from or to the airport. It is not well understood by tourists that Bermuda buses do not take passengers with any luggage or suit cases or baby strollers or prams or golf clubs. Bags larger than flight attendant bags will not be accepted. Yet tourists often try to bring them, spoiling things for other passengers. Among other things, they make it difficult or dangerous for feeble or elderly people to negotiate when getting on or off, especially when the bus may be full. Umbrella strollers only are allowed. All bags must go under the seat or on your lap.
Unlike some buses overseas, they don't have overhead racks or underbelly luggage compartments.
No wet clothing, no bathing suits, proper attire only.
No reclining seats or seat belts for adults or children or infants, no places to secure car seats for children. Only practical way is on a lap, when space permits seating for an adult.
All buses have buzzers for passengers. Press the buzzer at least 150 yards before the bus stop you want. If you don't know when to press the buzzer, tell the driver when you get on the bus where you want to get off and ask for help. If possible, given traffic conditions, you may be told by announcement, as a courtesy. But bear in mind that if he or she forgets or is too busy with traffic, you should not complain. It is not a service customarily provided by the drivers of buses, if any, where you live. Local maps, given away free to visitors, often show the location of specific visitor attractions.
For safety and related reasons on very busy local roads and at terminals or bus stops, their drivers cannot get out of the bus to assist passengers, as nationwide or regional or city-to-city bus services do in the USA and beyond.
For Senior Citizens/Disabled who can use a bus, free passes are available to Local Residents only with a Special Persons Card. Seniors from abroad without such a card must pay full price. Unlike in the UK, there are no similar concessionary fares for a companion, who may be younger, of someone elderly or disabled/physically handicapped.
Like most buses worldwide, they do not allow any eating or drinking. They don't allow more than a single aisle of standing passengers. Wisely, given Bermuda's many winding narrow roads and sharp bends.
All Bermuda bus stops are marked by poles painted - like the buses - in pink and blue. They are all "request" stops which means that if no passengers are waiting to get on or off at a particular stop, the bus driver will not stop. If the pole by the bus stop is PINK, the bus will be traveling towards the city of Hamilton. If the pole is BLUE, the bus will be traveling away from Hamilton. If a bus passes you without stopping, it may be full. This happens frequently when cruise ships are in port. Their passengers often crowd the buses. Sometimes, they or local commuters have to stand in a narrow bus aisle on sharply winding roads.
See under Taxis
| All
horse-drawn, they are remnants of an old
Bermuda tradition and are mostly found at near the cruise ship terminals in the city of Hamilton and town of St. George.
Carriage drivers, most of whom wear pith helmets in the summer, are required by law to have a rate card posted in the vehicle. They are expensive. Ask for fares and an informative spoken guided tour. Horses in the City of Hamilton must wear diapers. These are very slow moving vehicles so try not get one during rush hour traffic times as they will hold up traffic. |
 |
See Bicycles.
See above for fares. Note that the Boaz Island ferry stop between Watford Bridge and Dockyard was discontinued in May 2005 and is no longer shown on the map.
Not shown is the route to St. David's via St. George's
A good way to beat fearsome road traffic. "Traffic congestion in Bermuda is really becoming a headache. " So says advertisements by the Ministry of Transport, Department of Marine & Ports Services, for its new SeaExpress ferry service. Operated by the Bermuda Government's Department of Marine and Ports. Phone 295-4506. These relaxed sea routes are unequalled, a superb sea or harbor crossing in unrivalled scenery, much better than going by bus on overcrowded and perpetually noisy roads.
They are far more ecological than a bus, with daily or weekly or monthly passes included in the same price as the buses, and far less expensive than a taxi. The only extra charge is for cycles or mopeds. All places to stay, cruise ships and the ferry terminal have copies of the ferry timetable at no charge.
Unlike the buses, ferries to and from Dockyard and St. George's (see below) can take wheelchairs for the disabled. The Paget to Warwick ferry will take the walking disabled. They also take cycles or mopeds.
From Hamilton, they serve Paget, Warwick, Somerset and Dockyard on a varied daily basis (see timetable) and St. George's on Wednesdays and Thursdays from April 18 through November 2 only). They do not operate when the weather is too windy.
Bermuda ferries are a unique and wonderful way during the
day, evening and part of the night to see Bermuda. New catamaran ferries
conform to rigid
standards of ferry construction by Lloyds Register of Shipping. They have twin hulls and
reach higher speeds than the older ferries. They meet USA environmental
standards, have low-emission diesel engines, low noise, low wake, sewage holding tanks, wheelchair access,
comfortable cushioned seats and a concession stand for coffee, tea, soft drinks
and food. Additionally, more than US$ 15 million of Bermuda taxpayers' money was spent on
improving all the ferry docks except Boaz Island (which was eliminated) and
construction of new ones. To allow for easy embarkation and disembarkation, the new
floating ferry dock in Hamilton was designed and built in Canada. It will remain at the same level
regardless of whether the tide is high or low. The difference in level between
the fixed land side dock and the floating dock is accommodated by a ramp which
is hinged at the fixed end and free to rise and fall with the floating dock at
the opposite end. At other places - where it is impractical to provide a floating
dock - the ferries berth against a fixed dock with a hinged ramp which lower
onto the bow of the ferry.
Bermuda Department of Marine & Ports pilots and ferry personnel were trained at a US shipyard in operation and maintenance of the new vessels.
Million-dollar ferries include Serenity; The Resolute; Venturilla (after the first black person in Bermuda, a slave believed to have spent several months in Bermuda, after a shipwreck in 1603)Tempest and Warbaby Fox )after Charles Hilgrove W. Fox, owner of the Black Horse tavern in St. David’s and a prominent figure in the Eastern County and Cup Match cricket games. It has a top speed of 33 knots per hour and can carry 350 passengers. It is powered by four diesel and four water jet engines and took six months to build).
None
No Bermuda hotels are allowed by government to have airport shuttles, despite requests from hotels to be allowed to operate such vehicles. They would if they could. Bermuda is one of the very few places in the world that will not routinely allow this. The only hotel shuttles allowed are those connecting some hotels to their private beaches.
The Bermuda Government created in
June 2006 a new category of public service vehicle. It is known as a limousine,
borrowed in name but not in style or size from limousines common overseas. It
does not refer to a stretch-limo vehicle, but can be an ordinary car or former
taxi.
Up to 100 of the limousine licenses will be issued, and the first 50 will go to
taxi drivers wishing to swap their taxi permit to become a limousine operator.
You'll find others in the village of Somerset, Sandy's Parish. The Somerset route runs between Somerset Bridge and the Royal Naval Dockyard. Fares are always on a one way per passenger basis.
Another mini-bus service began in April 2002 for ferry commuters from and to Rockaway who live on the mini-bus route. It costs $4 per trip, which includes leaving a car parked for free each day they use the mini-bus and ferry, or being collected without a car to go to and from the ferry.
The responsibility of the Ministry, headed by Minister of Transport Dr. Ewart Brown, is to manage and regulate transportation in Bermuda, including the airport, weather services, buses and ferries.
See under "Auxiliary cycles."
See under "Motor Cycles" in Bermuda Road Transport for Locals." Not mentioned here because, like cars, they cannot be driven by tourists.
See under "Auxiliary cycles."
Under
The Motor Car Amendment Act 2005, drivers of the Island’s 600
cabs - equivalent to 28.57
taxis per square mile
- must be “appropriately
equipped” - meaning with a two-way radio set; a mobile data terminal; a global
positioning device; and an alarm device, approved by the Bermuda Government's
Minister of Transport. They must be examined, passed and
re-licensed annually by the Bermuda transport authority (Transport Control
Board), and insured by a Bermudian insurance company. Residents or
visitors requiring more details of taxi fares which are Bermuda Government
approved and regulated, and information on what seat belts for adults and
children taxis have, should get them from the Ministry of
Transport. Taxis
are imported at a low
Bermuda Government import duty rate of 10% compared to more than 100%
for some other automobiles. With rented
automobiles forbidden in Bermuda, it was hoped taxis would be accepted
by overseas visitors as an acceptable substitute. There are often not
enough taxis to meet seasonal demand from arriving or departing passengers. Relevant officials of the Bermuda
Government, the regulatory agency, say that sometimes less then 50%
of the total taxi fleet is available. For taxi drivers, the busiest time
of year is when cruise ships are in port - from April
to October.
Some taxis are larger than others, capable of sitting up to six passengers and their luggage. In late 2003, they were increased in maximum length and width to 210 inches long and 77 inches wide, instead of the up to 200 inches long and 75 inches in width. Limits to engine capacity have also been eliminated, to make way for luxury vehicles such as a Mercedes Benz taxi. Any taxi owner wishing to replace the taxi with a wheelchair accessible one may do so without needing approval from the Public Service Vehicles Licensing Board, but they are not allowed to charge wheelchair-disabled passengers any more than able passengers. However, if disabled and in a wheelchair be sure to ask if the taxi can take both an electric wheelchair and a manual wheelchair or just one or the other. Some taxis are not equipped to take both. Taxis charge by the hour, day or mile. If the latter, fares are on a one way basis. Rates are required by law to be the same for both able passengers and disabled passengers in a wheelchair.
All taxis are inspected twice a year and owners pay an annual license fee, with no Sunday Permit extra. They are all imported, at a Customs Duty rate of 10% (unlike other commercial vehicles and cars which have a duty rate of 33-150%). All are insured, with visible taxi signs and meters. Most taxi drivers are not owners of their taxis. Owners must register with a taxi dispatch company, but have a choice in which one. They are in USA or Bermuda dollars. A prime purpose of the legislation and GPS system is to send the taxi closest to the customer and reduce the wait time for a taxi called by telephone to no more than 15 minutes. Taxi drivers pay Radio Cabs or another local taxi dispatch company about US$ 100 a month for a 2-way taxi radio. Taxis are all right hand drive, with sliding doors on the LEFT side, in conformity with Bermuda's LEFT SIDE, so passengers can enter and exit safely instead of having to face oncoming traffic.
Since 1 January 2004, under The Motor Car Act 1951 and Motor Car (Seat Belts) Regulations 2002, seat belts are required. Adults sitting in the front seat must wear a seat belt. Adults in the rear seat are not required to do so. Children from birth to one year and up to 20 lbs in weight must be in a rear facing seat. Children from 30 lbs to 40 lbs must be in a forward-facing child seat. Children from 40 to 80 lbs must use a seat belt positioning device or booster seat. All children are safest in the back seat. The driver of the vehicle is legally responsible for ensuring compliance and may be fined for non-compliance, but the law does not seem to be clear on who must provide booster seats or special child seats for young children. To be on the safe side, parents using taxis for their young families should bring their own. If they do not, so as not to risk being liable by default, taxi drivers may not wish to take them. Occupants 18 and older are legally responsible for themselves. Older cars with no seat belts are not required to be modified. Non-compliance otherwise attracts a fine of $2,100 per offence.
Transport Control Department (TCD) Traffic Officers are on duty at the Airport whenever passengers arrive from overseas to ensure that all taxi drivers have an equal opportunity to obtain jobs. It can cost more than $50 one way from the Bermuda International Airport to some hotels, etc. from the airport. Most arriving passengers do not need to make a reservation at the airport or cruise ship terminal but if you take a taxi for sightseeing and to leave, make a reservation each time with a taxi service (there are several). For a party of four to six, engaging a suitably-sized taxi by the day or half day, with the driver acting as the tour guide, can be a good way to see Bermuda. A blue flag fluttering from the taxi's bonnet signifies the driver has qualified as a tour guide. (It seems most of the blue flag drivers prefer the City of Hamilton as their base).
Residents and visitors should not plan on being able to get a taxi to go anywhere on Christmas Day or New Year's Eve. All taxi drivers are self-employed, work when they wish to. Some taxi drivers are unwilling to drive short distances. Others will not drive longer distances one way or both ways after certain times. The condition of persons taking the taxi is also a factor. If drunk or disorderly or unruly, a driver may refuse to take, or continue to take, passengers.
While larger taxis able to take the disabled (physically handicapped and other disabled) have been brought in, there is nothing in the law that said drivers have to take disabled passengers. Drivers are free to decide whether or not to accept any disabled. There are no Bermuda laws requiring any type of public or private transport to take the disabled. For years but in vain to date, the Bermuda Physically Handicapped Association has been asking for the type of laws for transporting the disabled that the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, etc. have long had.
11 percent increase in fares from December 1, 2007. Before that, taxi fares were $5.75 for the first mile and $2 afterwards, now it starts at $6.40, for one to four passengers in the same taxi travelling between 6 a.m. and midnight.
There have also been discussions over a fuel rebate, improved insurance coverage and better service in vehicle repairs.
The Public Service Vehicle Licensing Board would crack down on those drivers without a GPS satellite-navigation system, with further recourse for enforcement to be implemented. Some taxi drivers have branded the 10.5 percent fare increase an "insult", saying it was the first rise in three years after a promised five percent increase failed to materialize in 2005. The last increase was in September 2004 when taxi drivers were awarded a 20 percent meter rise.For taxi rates contact any of the following:
| Regulatory & price-approving agency | Bermuda Government's Public Service Vehicle Licensing Board (PSVLB). |
| Taxi operators |
|
None are presently in operation but they form part of the National Transportation Plan of the Ministry of Transport of the Bermuda Government. It was hoped they will be in operation sometime in the foreseeable future to/from the airport, serving both residents and visitors. But before then, proper docking must be built at the airport. Currently, no vessels of any kind service the airport. It is intended that when in operation they be owned and operated by Bermudians and be:
Last Updated: July
3, 2009
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