SAVANNAH - Beach bums trying to get from Savannah to Tybee Island will soon be able to make the 18-mile trip without taking their own cars.

A public shuttle service between the two neighboring tourist destinations will launch March 7. At a cost of $3 per person, vans will carry passengers between the Savannah Visitor Center and the beach every day.

The Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia is providing the service. Initial plans call for a 15-passenger van to make one round-trip in the morning and another early in the evening.

Barbara Hurst, the commission's transportation services, says the shuttle service could be expanded if there's enough demand.