Dockyard residents now have an improved bus service, thanks to changes announced by Transport Minister Derrick Burgess.Some residents were left fuming when they found themselves having to walk to Watford Bridge to catch a bus leaving Pender Road in Dockyard.But that’s all sorted now with the Minister’s announcement at a press conference yesterday that the Department of Public Transportation and the Bermuda Industrial Union had agreed to “increase customer service to the travelling public”.“We strive to create schedules that will serve the most people as efficiently and cost effectively as possible,” said Transport Minister Derrick Burgess.“We don’t always get it right and often it takes the public to voice their concerns so that we are made aware of gaps in service delivery.”The trouble started when the Beacon Hill Road bus depot was relocated to Pender Road in Dockyard.“As most of the existing bus routes in the west begin and end at the Watford Bridge bus stop, it was arranged that bus operators travelling from Dockyard to Watford Bridge would service passengers to and from the new depot at the time of the move.“This did not fully materialise at the time as some early morning commuters were still required to walk to Watford to catch the bus that was leaving Pender Road.“This was not a formal requirement and some members of the public have asked if this could be formalised as an official route for passengers. With this most recent decision, our commuters will be able to wait for the bus at the nearest bus stop.“I’m happy to report today that discussions have taken place between the Department of Public Transportation and the Bermuda Industrial Union to cement this arrangement thereby ensuring that passengers are provided with consistent service between these locations.“Both parties have mutually agreed that bus operators will allow passengers to board and disembark between the last stop at Watford Bridge and the new depot.”Sundee Faulkner was one Dockyard commuter who complained in a Letter to the Editor about what she said amounted to a “huge five-hour window where transport to Dockyard is non existent”.She described herself as “elated” when told of the Minister’s announcement yesterday.“I have always been a believer that change cannot occur unless the challenges are brought to the attention of those who are able to make those changes,” she said.“This is certainly a step in a positive direction and I am encouraged by the news that the Ministry of Transport along with the Public Transportation Board have not only heard but addressed the concerns of the West End community. I extend my sincere gratitude to those responsible for implementing this change.”