A. Nat Hodge, MBE
PO Box 98
The Valley
Anguilla
The Ferry Service: Anguilla, St. Martin
Dear Editor,
In the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes, Anguilla has an opportunity to evaluate existing services and modify them as necessary. One area that comes to mind is the ferry service between St Martin and Anguilla. Over the past thirty years, the number of ferries and/or their frequency seems to have grown by leaps and bounds. Ferry boats should be travelling at a minimum of 80 % capacity if efficient use of fuel is to be made. Moreover, it becomes difficult for a ferry owner to earn a reasonable livelihood by this means if too many ferries, traveling under capacity, are running between Marigot and Blowing Point. Raising fares to compensate for this inefficiency makes no sense.
My suspicion is that, excluding the ferry service for kids commuting to school, three ferries in each direction per day would be sufficient on weekdays, and perhaps two ferries per day on weekends. However, the director of ferry services can review the passenger rosters for the past 3 or 4 years and calculate the average ferry ridership, including when busy periods occur, such as August carnival week and Christmastime, when extra ferries would have to be added.
Efficient ferry service would reduce the environmental impact–both air and water pollution–associated with ferry travel and help preserve our Caribbean paradise.
Respectfully,
Lake
(Published without editing by The Anguillian newspaper.)
