Recent budget cuts in military spending at the Pentagon have rippled down to the shuttle fares on post at Fort Bliss.

Soldiers using the once free shuttle to travel across post from the barracks now pay $4 for a one way trip. Fort Bliss spokesman Major Myles Caggins said the shuttle costs went up because not enough soldiers were seizing the opportunity.

"The reality is that we're spending nearly $650,000 thousand a year on a shuttle that was underutilized,” Caggins said. "So now we have a customer-centered, demand-oriented shuttle that soldiers have to pay a fee for."

Sun City Cab provides the shuttle service on a regular schedule to different locations around post, including Freedom Crossing. When Darius Stafford, private second class, discovered his car had a flat tire he started taking the shuttle from the barracks. Although he hadn't heard how much the cost had increased, he says it's still better than paying for an alternate mode of transportation on post.

"Four dollars is not much," Stafford said. "You can't argue with it, because it's better than paying $20 to catch a taxi home."

Caggins said many soldiers are getting better at carpooling or cutting back on trips to avoid spending too much money on the shuttle, but he also said there will be a meeting March 7 on post to discuss different shuttle routes and possible discounts on fares. Fort Bliss soldiers are encouraged to share their input at the meeting.