'It's very inconvenient': Riders frustrated about canceled free Charm City Circulator bus

BALTIMORE -- It has been eight days since riders caught Baltimore's free bus service, the Charm City Circulator. Some commuters say they've been left waiting at their stops without a head's up.

Gerry Martin told WJZ he catches a ride on the Charm City Circulator on Lombard Street every day.

But lately, he's been having to ride CityLink buses instead, seeing zero Circulator buses running for days.

"It's very inconvenient, because [the Circulator is] free," Martin said.

When he learned it was because service has been canceled since Dec. 30, he was frustrated there wasn't even notice at any of the stops. 

Malik Jackson also catches the Circulator on Lombard Street often.

"It's kind of frustrating because some people depend on [the Circulator for their] job," Jackson said. "Some people don't have enough for the regular bus."

The Baltimore City Department of Transportation has issued a series of service cancellations since Dec. 30, but it wasn't until its latest cancellation for Jan. 5 through Jan. 8 did they give specific details about why.

In a series of online posts, Baltimore City Department of Transportation said they've been trying to hire 45 new drivers due to switching contractors. They currently need 15 more. 

They've also been making repairs and adding new parts to buses. 

Lastly, they've been training new drivers and inspectors.

The plan is to resume the Circulator service on Monday.

Martin hopes the city comes through on that. He'd like to stop buying day passes for CityLink buses.

If you're interested in becoming a Circulator driver, you can find out more here.