Start of Bermuda’s new bus schedule delayed again

HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — The start of a new Government bus schedule which took 17 years to iron out, has been pushed back again after running into further problems.

Fresh talks were held last Friday amid staff concerns about the schedule, which was due to be introduced today after being unveiled by Transport Minister Zane Desilva last month.

That deadline was pushed back two weeks to January 21, but has again been postponed.

“We are not totally resolved, but we are still in the works trying to work things out,” said Glenn Simmons, a spokesman for the Bermuda Industrial Union (BIU).

Simmons declined to discuss the specific concerns of unionised Department of Public Transportation (DPT) staff, but added: “We are trying our best to come up with something very viable for the general public of Bermuda and our tourists, our seniors and everybody as a working class, working with the DPT team as well as the minister of transport.”

He was speaking after he met Desilva, DPT Director Roger Todd and ministry officials.

A Government spokeswoman said the DPT and BIU were trying to address concerns about bus rosters that included multiple night shifts.

Desilva said he hoped any problems with the new timetable would be resolved.

Last month Chris Furbert, president of the BIU, said agreement over the new schedule was a “great day”.

When the new schedule was announced, it was claimed it would cut down on cancellations because of bus shortages.

The present schedule, which has been in place since 2001, has suffered cancellations for months, inconveniencing locals and tourists alike because of the island’s ageing and unreliable fleet of buses.