Transportation in Bermuda
|
|
Bermuda has 150 miles of private paved roads; 130 miles of public paved roads; 25 miles of historic, mostly unpaved railroad trail, used in parts as a scenic trail; two beautiful ports (Hamilton and St. George's), and one airport, the Bermuda International Airport, located at the former U.S. Naval Air Station.
Cars were not allowed in Bermuda until 1946. Previously, the railway had been used for public transport, but proved highly unprofitable and was dismantled. Bermuda today has a large number of private cars, almost one for every two inhabitants; however only long-term residents are allowed to drive cars (due in large part to the narrow, winding, wall-lined roads, which require some skill to navigate in a car and mirrors near many driveways). Car prices are much higher than in the United States, Canada, and Europe, due to heavy import duties, and residents are also limited to one car per household. The size of cars is also restricted, meaning that many models popular in mainland United States, Canada, and Europe are not available in Bermuda. Only the Governor and Premier are exempt from these restrictions.
As in the United Kingdom, traffic drives on the left, meaning that visitors from North America must take special care on Bermuda's roads. There is no car hire; visitors may only rent low-power motor scooters; they may also use the extensive public bus system, or take taxis. The highest speed limit anywhere on the island is 40 km/h (approximately 25 mph), and it is lower in built-up and other congested areas.
Railways: 0 km in use
Highways:
total:
225 km
paved:
225 km
unpaved:
0 km (1997 est.)
note:
in addition, there are 232 km of paved and unpaved roads that are privately owned
<p>Ports and harbors:
Hamilton, Saint George
<p>Merchant marine:
total:
115 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,536,975 GRT/11,337,483 DWT
ships by type:
bulk 27, cargo 4, chemical tanker 2, container 17, liquified gas 7, petroleum tanker 33, refrigerated cargo 14, roll-on/roll-off 8, short-sea passenger 3 (1999 est.)
note:
a flag of convenience registry; includes ships from 11 countries among which are UK 24, Canada 12, Hong Kong 11, US 11, Nigeria 4, Sweden 4, Norway 3, and Switzerland 2 (1998 est.)
<p>Airports:
1 (1999 est.)
<p>Airports - with paved runways:
total:
1
2,438 to 3,047 m:
1 (1999 est.)
Reference
Much of the material in this article is adapted from the CIA World Factbook 2000.
External links
- Bermuda 4U (http://www.bermuda4u.com/Transport/bermuda_transport_overview.html) - Comprehensive guide to Bermuda's transport system including cruise ships visiting the island.