The cancellation of the St. David?s minibus service was called ?unacceptable? and ?deplorable? by a St. David?s MP who fired back at the Ministry of Transport yesterday.

?It is unacceptable that the Permanent Secretary for Transport (Marc Telemaque) is in denial that the Ministry does not subsidise any minibus service in Bermuda, and the residents of St. David?s certainly are not in denial that they deserve better transportation into St. David?s,? Suzann Roberts-Holshouser said. ?The situation is factual, and I would recommend that the Permanent Secretary, if he is uncertain, should consult with the Minister of Transportation, Dr. Ewart Brown for confirmation if he has not already done so.

?I am sure that a cheque written to the tune of just under $20,000 a month for minibus service should be easily recognisable. While it should be acknowledged that a ?trial? service during the ?off times? was put into effect a few months ago by the public transportation service, this service, we were advised was deemed unsuccessful and the Public Transportation Board (PTB) cancelled the run.

?However, it should be recognised that the two services ran parallel with each other and I find it very difficult to equate one service with the other. The Route 6 minibus offers door-to-door service, making it no match for the public bus service that would drop you off at the closest bus stop.

?It would also be remiss of me not to confirm that following a meeting on January 29, it was agreed that the PTB would subsidise the Route 6 minibus service by way of a fuel subsidy in the sum of $120.00 per week and enable individuals who held ?seniors? passes to utilise the Route 6 minibus service free of charge. I am sure elderly residents of St. David?s were grateful for this.

?I have also been advised that the St. George?s minibus service did not find Route 6 to be successful and consequently stopped the run,? she said.

She said that the shortage of public transportation will hit single mothers and their children the hardest.

?As the summer months fade into history, the lack of transportation into St. David?s, will pose even more problems than currently exist.

?Without the services of the minibus, residents will need to travel on foot and 90 percent of the persons utilising the minibus service in the evenings are single moms, sometimes with their children who will need to travel on foot in the dark.

?I would consider this as unsafe conditions as the level of Policing in St. David?s also lends itself to improvement with on and off Community Beat Service.

?The realities that currently exist is that the Government transportation service is non existent after 7 p.m. weekdays and after 6.40 p.m. on weekends into St. David?s. For some residents across the Island, the ferry and the buses are used out of choice. However, for many, the bus service is used as their only form of transportation,? she said.

Lamenting the state of public transport in the area, she said that the St. David?s bus run would not be deemed successful until a bus-turning area was constructed on the main strip into Southside.

?It has been advised, that if a spur was build from Tommy Fox Road through to Texas Road, the Public Transportation Board would establish a full service into St. David?s, but this would need the assistance of the Department of Works & Engineering and Bermuda Land Development who have lease hold of the property to get the required work done.

?This would enable through access and therefore be deemed as a ?successful? route as the potential number of riders would be increased. For St. David?s this would mean that we would come on line with the same bus service that is offered to St. George?s.

?The residents of St. David?s have for years fought for the right for a better bus service into and out of the area. The Route 6 minibus service filled this void and until such time as conditions are right for the public bus service, it is deplorable that the Ministry of Transport cannot find their way to assist not only the Route 6 minibus service, but the residents of the community they need the service,? she said.