NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS – Persons using the Oualie pier to travel between St. Kitts and Nevis have expressed high praise for the newly commissioned Water Taxi Terminal.
The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) officially opened the new Oualie Water Taxi Terminal on March 27 to provide passengers with a more comfortable experience and streamlined process when using that port of entry to the island. Passengers have subsequently been able to use the waiting area and bathrooms inside the terminal ahead of boarding.
Deputy Premier of Nevis and Chairman of the Nevis Housing and Land Development Corporation (NHLDC) the Honourable Eric Evelyn said the government saw constructing such a facility as a significant investment in the Nevisian-owned and operated water taxi business and the people of Nevis.
“This demonstrates that your caring [Concerned Citizens Movement] CCM-led Nevis Island Administration had that vision and that foresight. We realized the tremendous potential that existed in terms of travel between St. Kitts and Nevis and we decided we must tap into that potential we decided Nevisians and residents must benefit and that is why we embarked on this project.
“When we pass here at Oualie daily and see the scores of persons that traverse the two-mile stretch of water between St. Kitts and Nevis we would recognize that this was indeed an excellent investment from the Nevis Island Administration,” he said during the opening and handing over ceremony held at the facility to mark the occasion.
The Deputy Premier handed over the keys to Mr. Oral Brandy, General Manager of Nevis Air and Seas Ports Authority (NASPA), and Deputy Governor General Her Honour Mrs. Hyleeta Liburd, O.B.E., M.H. cut the ceremonial ribbon.
The Honourable Alexis Jeffers, who had oversight for the project when he served as Deputy Premier, disclosed that there are plans to further develop the facility to include additional parking on the outside, landscaping, and the construction of concession areas inside the premises.
The Oualie water taxi pier has over the years become a preferred access point to travel between the islands. In 2023 more than 200,000 persons passed through the facility.
Data provided by NASPA shows that in January 2024 24,197 persons used the water facility at Oualie compared to 19,767 in the corresponding period in 2023. In February 2024 24,075 persons moved through the Oualie pier compared to 17,966 in 2023, and in March 2024 26,019 persons utilized that port compared to 21, 311 in March 2023.
The facility will remain critical as a major entry point to Nevis, Premier of Nevis the Honourable Mark Brantley said, as it is anticipated that even with a refurbished Vance W. Amory International Airport (VAIA) the large-bodied jets will still land in St. Kitts and passengers bound for Nevis will use the water taxis.
“Our investment over at Oualie is not by chance; it is part of a plan to create something to support the water taxi industry. It shows the Nevis government saying here we have something that is 100 per cent Nevisian-owned and operated, let’s support it. It provides a critical service now where everybody now uses this service.”
The air-conditioned terminal boasts the capacity for seating over 30 passengers, two boat fare windows, a Port Fee window, bathroom facilities, and several offices. The facility will be fully accessible to the general public in short order.