Daufuskie Island residents and natives rely heavily on a ferry transportation system to meet their daily basic survival needs and maintain a quality of life as individuals living on an island surrounded by water. Unfortunately, these essential services have been compromised and interrupted due to a breach in the 2024 Ferry Transportation Contract that Beaufort County entered into with the ferry operator (Neal Turner).

The terms of the ferry contract stated that the vendor should be an experienced ferry operator that own at least two commercial vessels for operation, at which the operator was not or had neither. The ferry operator became an LLC owner in October of 2023, the same week the contract was signed. He purchased his second ferry weeks (still located in Florida) after signing the contract with Beaufort County. The ferry contractor has been transporting the residents on a non-commercialized fishing charter boat with no heating or air system, little room for excess cargo, and no ADA accommodations for individuals with special physical needs. After signing the contract, the ferry operator met with the residents to state his proposal for the ferry times, ticket fare, and new excessive pricing of their groceries and cargo that the residents had never experienced because the service was always available through previous county contracts. Mr. Turner stated in that same meeting that he knew he would be carrying residents on his boat but was unaware they would have any groceries or other items on their person larger than a purse or book bag.  

There were numerous letters, calls, and emails sent to Beaufort County Council members by the residents of Daufuskie asking the county for their support by terminating the contract with Mr. Turner; Mark Lawson, a county councilman, stated in response to the residents that he would look into the allegations and later Beaufort County has stated in their responses calling the residents spoiled by previous services and that they support the current contract with Mr. Turner.

According to a study by the American Journal of Public Health, essential services like transportation disruptions can significantly impact senior citizens' physical and mental well-being (AJPH, 2018). Most long-term natives are on a fixed income and suffer from physical ailments. Now, they are subjected to additional financial burdens that they can hardly bear because of the added fees that the ferry contractor has proposed on these individuals for their grocery items, pets, and other vital necessities other than themselves and calling them excess cargo. This situation is not just about the breach in the ferry contract; it's about the human lives at stake.

We call upon relevant authorities to hold those responsible for this breach accountable. We are advocating for immediate action to rectify this situation and ensure reliable and prompt boat transportation services for Daufuskie Island's residents and their families.

Please sign this petition if you believe in justice for our Daufuskie  Island residents and all other individuals who rely on transportation services and accountability from service providers. Your signature could make all the difference in restoring peace of mind and a better quality of life for those affected and ensure transportation stability for future residents. #DAUFUSKIESTRONG