public transportation system into high gear will graduate tonight.

The ceremony will culminate the joint efforts of the Transportation Planning Team and the Monitor Company who helped open up the Public Transportation Board's Ambassador Programme to other members of Bermuda's transportation community.

The internationally recognised customer service and human relations course has been offered to PTB employees since 1991 and since then complaints have dropped by more than 60 percent.

The course focuses on improving the relationships between transportation providers and the travelling public. Among the ten participants were individuals from the bus, ferry, mini-bus, airport limousine and taxi communities. Transport Minister Ewart Brown said: "This is the first time that members of the transportation community have joined together to improve the transportation product for residents and visitors. Encouraging those in the bus, ferry, taxi, mini-bus and airport services to improve their customer service and human relations will have significant long-term benefits as we continue to improve our transportation systems.'' The decision to offer the PTB scheme to other members of the transportation community was the result of a series of workshops the Monitor Company and the Transportation Team held in November, 1998.