Passengers can expect even more bus cancellations, but Transport Minister Terry Lister insists timetable cuts are the only way to save the Island’s bus service.Transport bosses are now drawing up a list of up to 25 last-minute bus cancellations on an almost daily basis to cover driver shortages. This bus cancellation list is then emailed to schools, the Hotel Association and the Chamber of Commerce in the hope word gets out about the timetable changes.The emails, which were started about three weeks ago, begin with “Dear valued passenger” then state the routes and times of buses not running that day.The emails state the changes are down to “extenuating circumstances” but no other details are given. They go on to say: “buses may be cancelled with little to no notice. We apologise for any inconvenience.”The list of cancellations for yesterday included 21 bus routes cancelled from 1.50pm to 11.45pm. This included the number 10 Whitney Institute to Berkeley bus at 3.37pm and number three Berkeley to Grotto Bay at 3.37pm and a total of five number 8 Dockyard to Hamilton or Hamilton to dockyard journeys.Minister Terry Lister described the cancellations as “cost-effective cuts” as the Department of Transport has had its budget reduced by $1.3 million, down seven percent from last year.And he is warning passengers that similar cancellations will continue for about two weeks.Mr Lister said: “We have looked at the ridership of routes and we only cancel those routes that are light on riders. The senior people at TCD make a decision and distribute the list. Sometimes it’s a list of only a page, sometimes it’s two pages, it varies day-by-day.“It shouldn’t be spoken of as a crisis. What we are doing is saving the bus schedule by making it more cost effective. Most bus routes run on a 15 minute or 30 minute bus cycle so if the 3pm bus is cancelled, there will be a 3.15pm bus. You won’t have to wait long for another one to come along. People can still get from A to B but maybe not as quickly as before. People will just have to be aware that at certain times of the day a certain bus route may not be as regular.”Mr Lister explained that cancellations occurred “frequently” because high numbers of drivers called in sick. He said there were “reserve drivers” available to cover most day-to-day sickness, but “if more people phone in sick then we have a shortage and we have to remove routes.” An overtime ban for bus drivers remains in place to save money.Mr Lister said: “We’ve had to do something different this fiscal year. “The cuts have had to be made as we have to provide a bus service for everyone. If we do nothing we are going to run out of money very quickly indeed. We are just trying to manage the bus schedules the best we can.”The Royal Gazette has seen at least seven of these bus cancellation lists, which date back to March 29, with two separate lists being distributed on some days. Many evening rush-hour buses have been affected, including the number 4 from Hamilton to Spanish Point and the number three from Hamilton to St George’s. On the afternoon of March 31 four buses to St. David’s were cancelled in just over an hour.Those answering the phone at the DPT have the day’s list in front of them and ask callers “where are you going and what time?” When asked why there were cancellations, one staff member told us: “I haven’t a clue. I get a different list every morning.”There are concerns among people in the hospitality industry that neither locals nor tourists are being given enough notice of the cancellations. But Mr Lister insisted the email “containing all the relevant information” was sent out to those on their distribution list by mid-morning. He said: “We could go on the radio and announce the cancellations but people would get very tired of that very quickly.“The distribution list goes directly to about 30 people and we hope those that are in receipt of the information then distribute it further.”Mr Lister said the “uncertainty” surrounding bus routes would continue until the new bus timetable was published in the next couple of weeks. This will see some routes having their frequency reduced and some buses having their termination locations changed.To sign up for the bus cancellation emails, contact info[AT]ptb.bm. Alternatively, you can phone 292-3851 for the latest bus information.