Bus Vannin has had to fall back to running a Bank Holiday service on the Island’s roads after a planned alterative timetable failed this morning.

Just four days into the bus strike, the contingency plans set up by the department of Community, Culture and Leisure proved inadequate to deal with a shortage of drivers.

Many people took to social media to criticise the service after buses were late or didn’t turn up at all.

On its Twitter feed, the service apologised to travellers for the delay in explaining the changes.

Last week, DCCL Minister Graham Cregeen said plans had been set up to cope with the industrial action – after drivers voted to talk out for a total of twelve days.

As the row over ?300,000 of cuts and changes to drivers’ terms and conditions intensified, volunteers were recruited last week to step into the breach during the festival period.

But according to Bus Vannin it was hit by a shortage of drivers this morning and was forced to call off many services it had timetabled.

Today and tomorrow will now see only a Bank Holiday schedule in place.