Over 600 St. David?s islanders asked Government to help bring their minibus service back in the House of Assembly on Friday night.

Their wishes were presented to the Speaker of the House, Stanley Lowe, during the final sitting of Parliament for 2004 by St. David?s MP Suzann Roberts-Holshouser.

?To his honour the Speaker and the Members of the Honourable House of Assembly,? she said on Friday.

?Your petitioners are 601 residents of St. David?s. Your petitioners are desirous of presenting a petition praying for Government?s financial support of the Route 6 minibus service for transportation throughout the community of St. David?s as a result of no Government transportation after the hours of 6.40 p.m.?

Minibus operator Grace-Anne Fox launched the petition drive after her request for a subsidy from the Transport Ministry was turned down and the bus service shut down early last month.

She operates the service with Esten Curtis.

The Ministry told the pair Government was not in the subsidy business ? a response which didn?t go down too well because Rockaway minibus service receives $20,000 in subsidies every month, Transport Permanent Secretary Marc Telemaque confirmed.

Government did offer a fuel subsidy of $120 a week, on the condition that they transported senior citizens free of charge.