Bermuda’s public transport system is at the sharp end of the growing battle over Budget cuts.It won’t be the last battleground, as shown by today’s march on the Cabinet Office, but what is happening is instructive.It is not clear why the system is experiencing route cancellations. The drivers claim that higher numbers of vehicles require servicing. The Minister says drivers have been gaming the system to earn more money, primarily by being called in to drive for overtime pay when one of their colleagues is allegedly sick. That is now being stopped, and the result is that some routes are being cancelled, according to the Ministry. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.At the same time, Government’s decision to build a second cruise ship wharf at Dockyard and to bring in two megaships at the same time is straining public transport further.This, coupled with Government’s determination to put Bermudians first, now means that some visitors will be prevented from boarding buses in Dockyard in order to retain a certain number of seats for residents catching the bus later in the route.This makes no sense. Now more than ever, Bermuda needs tourists, and the community should be doing everything it can to make sure that they are welcome and want to come back.Bermuda has to get its priorities straight. We are now living in a different world from five years ago and even one year ago.Bermuda must earn foreign exchange in order to buy the goods we need to survive. Our primary sources of foreign exchange are tourism and international business. Therefore we must do everything we can to make sure these industries succeed.At the same time, Bermudians must be prepared to work hard and flexibly to ensure their employers, whether private or public sector, offer value for money. The alternative will be more job losses and layoffs.Quite simply, Bermuda has to become more efficient and productive if it is to survive. And in doing so, some of the old ways of doing things have to change. If that means waiting for the next bus because the first one is full of tourists, then that is a worthwhile sacrifice.