At last! West End Ferry Port re-opens with temporary facility
The West End Port’s terminal was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and the entire structure was subsequently torn down.
At the re-opening ceremony and commissioning of the permanent facility on August 2, 2019, Premier and Minister of Finance Hon Andrew A. Fahie (R1) said it was only necessary that such a revenue earner as the West End Port be given priority.
“We know what happened down here during Irma. It was quite a devastation. I could never quite understand why the steel building was taken down but it is what it is and we were down here without the facility so nobody could blame Irma because Irma was the storm of all storms.
“But as time passed I kept asking…and I was asking and asking every time I got a chance, ‘what about the West End Port’. And I was coming down here a year and change later and I was asking myself how one of the greatest revenue makers was not one of the first projects to be fixed, even if in a temporary state.”
Getting the priorities right
The Premier said when his Virgin Islands Party (VIP) took over the reigns of government the first thing he asked was for the road to the West End Port be fixed “to pave the way for the restoration of the port facility."
He admitted he was very firm in instructing the BVI Ports Authority Board (BVIPA) Chairman Mr Nathaniel Isaacs and CEO Mr Lenius Lendor to get the West End Port facility up by August and not till 2020 as was the instruction of the previous National Democratic Party (NDP) Government.
“Because, let’s face it, it was one of the greatest inconveniences to have to leave from West End, leave from Carrot Bay, leave from Jost van Dyke and all to go to Road Town, long after this hurricane…”
Further, Premier Fahie said a lot of businesses were feeling the squeeze with the prolonged closure of the West End Port.
Meanwhile, Hon Fahie said the Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) already has plans for the permanent facility and Government would be having public meetings on it.
“I could tell you from now, based on the negotiations, the permanent facility should begin sometime next year, around March/April, based how we are pushing with the finances and other things.”
In the meantime; however, Premier Fahie wants the return of a regular ferry schedule to the West End Port.
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