scalping'' at Grotto Bay and other Bermuda hotels.

The probe should also examine the involvement of Transport Minister the Hon.

Ralph Marshall, who is a director and shareholder at Grotto Bay Beach Hotel where sale of bus tickets at inflated prices has occurred, the PLP said yesterday in a news release.

Mr. Marshall, meanwhile, said yesterday that a bus driver complained to him on March 17 about the bus ticket sales at Grotto Bay.

"I requested the Public Transportation Board be informed of this matter and encouraged the director to take appropriate action to discourage such practices by any Bermuda hotel,'' Mr. Marshall said in a news release.

On Wednesday, Mr. Marshall told The Royal Gazette that as a director of Grotto Bay Properties Ltd. he was unaware of daily operational matters like bus ticket sales. He said he was also unaware of a similar complaint made about Grotto Bay one year ago.

A Grotto Bay spokesman confirmed the hotel was buying up books of bus tickets, which are sold at a discount, then selling them individually to visitors for a profit.

The hotel buys books of 15 tickets for 3-zone for $10, then resells them for $1.50 each, turning a profit of $12.50 on each book. It also resells $18 14-zone books at $3 per ticket, turning a $27 profit on each book.

Mr. Herman Basden, director of the PTB, said his staff had been pursuing management at Grotto Bay about the bus ticket sales for some time, but "I guess it continues.

"It's true that the Minister was informed about it quite some time ago, and told me to do as I see fit,'' Mr. Basden said. "He was quite adamant.'' In the news release, Mr. Marshall said the ticket sales result "in an unfair profit to private businesses at our visitors' expense,'' and if the practice persisted it could be made illegal.

"As complaints are brought to us, we will first appeal to the affected business to exercise honest business manners and not sell any discounted tickets at full price,'' the Minister said. "It is not the right thing to do, particularly to our guests visiting Bermuda.'' At Grotto Bay, meanwhile, controller Mr. Earl Michlin said he was too busy meeting with auditors to deal with the bus ticket issue. But the woman who answered the telephone at the hotel said the ticket sales continued.

Mr. Basden said "now that this thing has been publicised, we want to talk to them and give them a third warning'' before attempting to cut off ticket sales to Grotto Bay.

But he said he was unable to reach management yesterday and would try again today.

In a joint news release, PLP Shadow Tourism Minister Mr. David Allen and Shadow Transport Minister Mr. Walter Lister said the "ticket scalping'' was "a harsh penalty to our tourists.'' As Transport Minister and a Grotto Bay owner, Mr. Marshall was "doubly responsible and accountable,'' for the ticket sales, the MPs said. "He should have known.''