Can an old and unused bus be transformed into an art studio for the good of the community?It’s a simple enough question, but after a day of making phone calls and sending e-mails Ami Zanders is still waiting for an answer.The 33-year-old artist remains hopeful but she continues to play the waiting game after being “passed from one person to the next” at the Ministry of Transport.The Royal Gazette reported on the plight of Ms Zanders yesterday as she wants to “recycle” the buses currently dumped off Southside in St David’s to create a space to nurture the creativity of Islanders.Ms Zanders asked for the name of the community group, which now owns the buses, to offer to take the vehicles off their hands. But Transport Minister Terry Lister said it was “a private matter.”Instead Ms Zanders was told to contact Mr Lister directly at TCD and it now looks as if her dream is a step closer to becoming a reality.However, she believes another unused bus will be made available for the art studio rather than making good use of the two vandalised buses in St David’sMs Zanders said: “I didn’t get to speak to the Minister but I did a lot of e-mailing and made lots of phone calls.“I’m still waiting for information. I’ve been told it’s going to take a while, but it’s more than likely that I will hear some good news.”She added: “The community group who owns the buses in St David’s was never mentioned to me.“I don’t think it will be one of the St David’s buses, but I’m hopeful, it looks promising that I will get a bus for free.“Local artists are very excited this might be happening, they all complain they have no space to practice.”After Ms Zanders read the story in yesterday’s newspaper, she set to work to try to track down the relevant person to speak to.Firstly she e-mailed the general TCD e-mail address saying: “I am a local Bermudian artist and I am very much interested in the abandoned buses stationed in St David’s.“A group of artists would like to get together and modify these buses into working art studio space …. the Minister of Transport Terry Lister said in The Royal Gazette to contact TCD.”She received an out-of-office e-mail as a reply.Ms Zanders then visited the Government website and discovered the permanent secretary for Transport was Cherie Whitter, so she sent an e-mail to her. However, the permanent secretary for transport is actually now Ellen-Kate Horton.Ms Zanders then called TCD and asked to be put through to Mr Lister, but she was unable to speak to him or leave a message. His voicemail asked her to call Ms Horton and that’s what she did.Ms Horton told Ms Zanders she had seen the newspaper story and she was going to investigate the matter further.A few hours later Ms Horton phoned Ms Zanders and told her to get in touch with Jonelle Christopher, acting director of Public Transportation Board, because “there are buses available that they are willing to give away.”Ms Zanders then spoke to Ms Christopher’s assistant who said she would pass on the message. She was also told to e-mail Ms Christopher, which she also did.Ms Zanders said: “It was kind of a brief chat and a bit cryptic. I haven’t really got an answer one way or the other, I’m still waiting, but fingers crossed.“This is a great opportunity for a community art studio.”The two buses in St. David’s have been left to rot on Government property for at least six weeks. They have had their windows and windscreens smashed by vandals.UBP Senator Suzann Holshouser said it was “madness” that Government property could be given away without anyone wanting to talk about it.She said: “The bigger picture here is how are these two buses are allowed to stay in St David’s and why isn’t Government disclosing any information?“These buses are owned by the people of Bermuda, they were paid for with taxpayer’s money, but Government won’t say who owns them now. Did they give them away or did someone buy them?“It leaves us to pluck all sorts of guesses out of the sky but if I was to leave an abandoned car there, you can be sure Government would come looking for me.”Mr Lister did not respond to our requests for comment yesterday.