The government is looking to redevelop Prince George Wharf to keep up with the growing demand from international cruise ships, Transport and Aviation Minister Glenys Hanna-Martin revealed recently.

“With the growing demand for Nassau as a port of entry for cruise ships and the significant resources expended by the state over the years including the $40 million dredging exercise and the current dredging exercise – all of which comes from the Public Treasury – it is now time to bring a more modernised management to the operations and administrations of Prince George Dock,” she said.

“My ministry in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism is developing a strategic plan for redevelopment of Prince George Wharf.”

The minister said the government has already began looking at models worldwide to determine how best to manage the Nassau Harbour.

“We actually started this work with the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA). It sounded like an idea when we were talking about the airport and this is where we are. We are beginning very judiciously and aggressively the work of looking at this dock,” she said.

“There are millions and millions and millions of dollars that come from the Public Treasury to facilitate this dock and there has to be a better way. And we are trying to find that better way.

“The objective is to create an economically sustainable enterprise which is highly efficient. Additionally however, the new regime that we anticipate will create new, exciting career opportunities for young Bahamians in port administration in its various components.”

Minister Hanna-Martin said the government will also look to revamp the operations of Potter’s Cay Dock.

“I have met with mailboat operators to discuss creating safer systems. It’s a facility that has really been outgrown in a number of ways. We will now bring a focus to this complex facility to bring a more rational system for the docking of domestic vessels and for the loading and offloading of cargo,” she said.

“In conjunction of these efforts, we have begun a preliminary review of those island ports and have prioritised in-ports based on the increase of the volume of traffic and the complexity of operations so as to begin a process of bringing structure to the safe and efficient management of these ports nationwide.”

Minister Hanna-Martin said the ports must also be self-sustaining.

“We’ve got to stop this constant call on the Public Treasury. This too will create new and specialised opportunities throughout the country,” she said.

The minister also announced that the Port has adapted a new scheduling software for Prince George Wharf.
“We’ve acquired software which has been under development over the last several months to facilitate online scheduling of dates and berths of cruise ships coming into the Port of Nassau,” she said.

“This is really for the industry that will be able to have clarity of scheduling further cruise ships and narrows the risk for any further confusion or miscommunication.”