Many have questioned why furlough days were imposed on public transport, requiring other workers to step in to fill the service.

According to Transport Minister Shawn Crockwell, this was a necessary consequence of furloughs being imposed across the Government.

Staff who filled in for other employees were paid “straight time”, the minister said in the House of Assembly this week.

Replying to Opposition questions, Mr Crockwell said that $2,344,933 was paid out in overtime for the Department of Public Transportation last year.

It represented less than 15 per cent of total overtime paid out by the Government.