As Cayman’s traffic woes continue, a UK duo tasked with charting a new course for public transport have turned to sister overseas territory Bermuda for insight.
Alicia de Vries and Andrew Ashton, both seconded from the UK Department of Transport to assist Cayman’s transport plans, recently met with Bermuda Minister of Transport Wayne Furbert and his team on behalf of the Cayman Islands Government.
A Bermuda government release said discussions during the visit “delved into Bermuda’s public transportation infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, seeking insights to enhance their own transportation system”.
Minister Furbert said his team was pleased to host Cayman’s representatives at the recent meeting.
“The visit strengthened bilateral relations and set the stage for continued cooperation and promising opportunities for future collaboration,” Furbert said in a government statement.
He added that Bermuda is also planning a visit soon with Minister Johany “Jay” Ebanks from Cayman’s Ministry of Planning, Agriculture, Housing, Infrastructure, Transport & Development.
In 2020, the Cayman Compass took a closer look at the Bermuda bus system and how it compared to Cayman.
The sister overseas territory has implemented restrictions on vehicles, for example, as part of its congestion management efforts. As a trade off, the island’s bus and ferry system runs a cost of about US$30 million annually.
Shifting vision for transport
Cayman has been searching for a solution to existing traffic woes for some time now. Previously government looked to Barbados as a possible model to pattern local public transport.
Last year, a $200,000 Deloitte report also suggested Cayman’s private bus service be scrapped and replaced with a modern, government-run public bus network.
The report suggested more than 30 practical ways that the bus system could be improved and modernised.
The Deloitte report was commissioned by then Minister of Transport Kenneth Bryan when transport formed part of his ministry’s tourism portfolio. The portfolio was separated, however, and transport was shifted to Minister Jay Ebanks.
At the time, Bryan was looking to Barbados as part of planning for local transportation. He travelled to the island in 2022 and observed their bus system in action.
Cayman is now in the process of formulating a business case to create a cohesive Department of Transport, which could see the merging of the National Roads Authority, the Department of Vehicle and Drivers’ Licensing, and the Public Transport Unit into one authority.
No timeline for the amalgamation of those entities has been presented.
The merging of those transportation-related departments was among the recommendations from the Deloitte report.
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I first visited Bermuda from Cayman in 1992 and looked closely at their public transport system. Their answer for many decades has been to restrict car ownership and run a reliable public transport system, yet Cayman ignore such choices and instead we build more roads which soon enough fill up again.
In Cayman we have seen countless Ministers “take a look at this”, including paying endless consultants, yet nothing is ever done.
What we need is restrictions on vehicle ownership and usage and a reliable public transport system.
A wealthy country is one where the rich use public transport as it is faster and more reliable than their car.
When will this happen in Cayman? Only when we have leaders brave enough to make this massive change.
Soon hear direct flights to Bermuda by CAL. Not so certain why so much collaboration, consulting and plenty money being spent for nothing being done?? Traffic remains terrible despite more asphalt, round abouts and the destruction to the environment. When enough is enough?
Most travellers to Bermuda will be well aware that you cannot rent a car, only a motorcycle or similar.
That absolutely would not work in Grand Cayman. This is a totally different culture. Luxury guests and also divers are not coming to ride around the island on mopeds!
Bermuda is luxury tourism too. It works. People take taxis
I Lived in BDA for 5yrs. On Bermuda the population is spread out from St George to Somerset parish also work places the same. Cayman it’s all in GT and SMB. Bermuda has a great bus service I would leave my motorbike at home and offen catch the bus. They have a great ferry service as well. As for luxury guests BDA has far better hotels and employ much more Bermudians. If it was a tropical island I would of stayed for 10yrs.