All of the buses in Bermuda are a pale pastel pink with a blue stripe. They are equipped with a front and middle door, the middle door being a wheelchair accessible entrance. Back when I was riding the bus in 2009 most drivers would not open the middle door as they stated a lack of training on using the ramp. This made getting on and off the bus a little more awkward than it had to be at peak hours when all the seats were taken and the aisles were jammed with people holding onto the railings or supports from above. Hopefully that issue has been resolved, maybe somebody out there can let me know (but don't assume 4 years passing guarantees the resolution of an issue).
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| The common Bermuda pink bus |
The main bus depot is in Hamilton on Church Street. From that location you can take a Number 7 past the hospital and along the scenic south shore all the way to the furthermost point on the route going West, Dockyard. A number 8 will follow a similar path until the lone traffic light on the route, where it will veer to the right and travel along Middle Road, also ending in Dockyard. The 7 and 8 routes merge at Barnes' Corner, so if you are going to Dockyard, either will do. But when boarding a 7 or 8, be sure to look at the destination sign on the front of the bus -- if it says Barnes' Corner or Somerset, that is as far as it goes. If you want to head towards St. George's, the Number 1 will take you past the hospital, the Botanical Gardens, Spittal Pond, John Smith's Bay, Tucker's Point Hotel and the Crystal Caves, the airport, and finally the town of St. George's. The Number 3 will take you to Flatt's Village, Devil's Hole, and then joins same route as the 3 at the Crystal Caves. The 10 and 11 will take you through Blackwatch Pass to Flatt's, Shelly Bay, Grotto Bay, the airport, and beyond. There are a couple of smaller routes that will take you to St. David's, Spanish Point, and a few other small places. These 11 routes offer frequent service from early morning til late in the evening in most cases, and are an excellent and easy way to tour the island.
In addition to buses, ferries supplement the public transportation, and this can be a nice way to see the island from a different perspective, or shorten your trip between Hamilton and Dockyard. Another ferry will go from Dockyard to St. George's. The ferry is a much faster way to get to your destination, but the schedule is less frequent, and reduced on weekends and holidays. You can usually saunter up to a bus stop and during daylight hours and expect a ride within 15 minutes, but the ferries are about once and hour and shut down for 3 hours mid-day...so if you want to take the ferry, check the schedule and plan to be there in advance.
To navigate Bermuda by public transport, first you will need a map. You cannot get one at the main bus terminal, but you can get one from the smoothie and coffee shop on Front Street called Juice N Beans. I know it sounds strange, but as best as I can tell, the bus service decided to cut the free schedules and have people look it up using their home computers and smart phones. A pro-tourism group started printing them and handing them out with other brochures at the smoothie coffee shop. You MAY be able to get them at the ferry terminal Visitor Information Center on Front Street, but last time I had guests and tried to get one from the bus terminal they certainly didn't offer up any information. In one of those conversations like the ones making headlines this week, the conversation went something like this "Hi. Can I get a package of tokens and a bus schedule please?" "No! You can have only have tokens." "OK. Are you out of bus schedules? Should I come back." "You can't get em anymore." Having been through this type of discourse before I just took my tickets and went home, and through relaying the story found out that Juice N Beans could help me out with a schedule for my guest. Or I could print it online.
It's important to know that you cannot use cash for the bus or ferry (the current topic of debate in the news due to a letter to the editor from a tourist who had a very unpleasant experience in trying to do so). You must have tokens or a pass to ride the bus or the ferry. You can buy these at the ferry terminal, the bus terminal, hotel lobbies, post offices, and probably several other places I am not aware of. The tokens will be a 3 or a 14. A 3 is good for transportation within any 3 consecutive parishes. A 14 will take you anywhere you want to go. The 3 is work $3, the 14 is worth $4.50. A ferry ride is equal to a 14. Or...make it easy and get a 1,3, or 7 day pass...or a month pass if you stay that long.
Now the next very important lesson about the bus service is the bus stop. Some bus stops are very noticeable. So are just a pole on the side of the road. Keep your eyes open for these. The poles on one side of the road will be pink, the other side of the road will have blue poles. Pink pole means no matter where you are you are heading towards Hamilton, or town as we call it. A blue pole means you are heading away from town. So, if you are on the west end of the island, a pink pole will take you east. If you are on the east end, a pink pole will take you west. Better to just remember "pink pole to Hamilton, blue pole away from Hamilton."
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| Pop Quiz...do you see the bus stop...and where will it take you? |
Bus etiquette dictates that before boarding the bus you allow everyone disembarking the bus to get off first. This can take a while since people from the back my have to jostle their way to the front before bursting out into freedom. Then you can board, give your token, and of course greet the bus driver in the customary way -- which is either Good Morning, Good Afternoon, or Good Evening. Hi, hello, hey there just don't cut water as there is an expectation to use the traditional greetings. You will generally find you get better service and better reactions this way. Once on board, just remember that the bus will be driving on the left side of the road...so if you are taking a "blue pole" route away from town, get a window seat on the left to get the best view of the coastline and the beaches. If you are coming to town and boarded by a pink pole, aim for a window seat on the right. Most of the bus drivers are extremely helpful, and if you ask them to let you know when to get off for your destination, they do a great job of calling out the stops and point out the best stop for you. Some take a lot of pride in being good guides and entertainers, and rule their bus as the head of the household -- telling young people to stand and give their seats to older passengers if they fail to do so, commanding respect among the passengers, demanding social graces other parts of the world have let slide. All in all, in the 3 months that I rode the bus before getting a scooter, I truly enjoyed some of those beautiful views and entertaining rides. The driver's can help make for a great experience in Bermuda! And truly, more often than not, this is the case.
All that's left is pick your destination and enjoy the ride! With the narrow windy roads, hairpin turns here and there, you will likely find it quite an adventure. I heard an American tourist loudly exclaim once "NASCAR has NOTHING on this woman!"
If you don't love it, there is always the alternative....
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| The rare Bermuda Pink Taxi |
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