Guernsey reduced bus services sees £152k returned to States

More than £152,000 has been returned to the States of Guernsey during 2022 after continued disruption to the island's bus services.

Since January, CT Plus, which was taken over by Tower Transit in September, has been running a reduced timetable due to staff shortages.

Between June and August £71,208.86 of the annual subsidy was returned.

The Committee for Environment and Infrastructure (E&I) said £81,600 had been returned between January and May.

Fergus Dunlop, chair of Bus Users Guernsey, said islanders were "frustrated with the constant cancellations".

He said: "When it's raining and you're standing at the stop and you don't know if a bus is coming, it's really not helpful. The lack of live information from the bus app has been a nightmare.

"It's good the States has got money back from this bus company for the services cancelled, and shows the contract has been designed well."

E&I has reintroduced the online live bus tracker to provide "better, up-to-date, information" to bus passengers.

President of the E&I Committee Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez said it would improve the operator's reduced services.

She said: "We have shared in the frustration from passengers about the lack of a live tracker, so we're pleased the operator has responded to our request to make it available again.

"Real-time information will help Guernsey continue to grow bus passenger numbers, which in turn helps to reduce the traffic on our roads and our carbon emissions and supports our local economy too."

The government has been contacted for comment regarding what they plan to do with the returned funds.

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