The Royal Naval Dockyard Chamber of Commerce is trying to get a British double-decker bus on the road to serve the community.

But the traditional British sightseeing bus is in need of $6,000 for urgent engine repairs and the seats also need to be reupholstered.

Once the double-decker is on the road, it will be a free shuttle around the gated area of Dockyard, for locals and visitors to enjoy.

"The bus will run between the Clock Tower and the cruise ship terminal," said Royal Naval Dockyard Chamber of Commerce (RNDCC) secretary Phyllis Correia.

"After analysing visitor difficulties in Dockyard, transportation around such a large area needed to be addressed and we found that a lot of older cruise ship passengers found it difficult to walk around the area.

"The bus would serve a purpose both for locals and tourists."

She said the RNDCC had been working on the project for three years and it had hoped that the old double-decker would be ready to take passengers in the new.

Ms Correia said: "We have purchased all of the parts to repair the engine, but we are short of the funds to complete the work.

"So far the bus has had the bodywork repaired, a new paint job, but the seats need to be re-upholstered.

"Perhaps companies of individuals could sponsor a seat to cover the cost of upholstering."

She said over the past three years it had received donations amounting to about $10,000, which included volunteer man hours.

And she added that once it was up and running she hoped it would be partly funded by selling advertising space on the bus.

"We just want the bus to run ? the Dockyard community needs help," said Ms Correia.

The bus was purchased from the Sonesta Beach Resort three years ago and it has been difficult getting it on the road.

"Sonesta had used the bus for many years to shuttle tourists up and down the hill, but it had fallen into disrepair and we have been working on it ever since," she said.

"The bus has a lot of history."

She said the old double-decker would be great for Dockyard and as Bermuda was a British colony it would be a great piece of history and a talking point.

"Many of the tourists come to the Island looking for a little British charm and the bus would provide that and transportation," she said.