LibertyBus St Helier service aims to tackle town traffic

A new bus service will be trialled in Jersey to try to reduce the number of cars in the island's capital.

The LibertyBus route will follow a loop around St Helier, linking places such as Liberation Station, the General Hospital and the town hall.

It is hoped the service will also offer better connections for town residents to other parts of the island.

The trial route is expected to launch in the summer and will run for at least one year, the government said.

The "frequent and easy to use" service will create a wider network of bus stops across St Helier and "reduce the need for car use", according to the government.

Chief Minister John Le Fondre said it also aimed to make the town "a more desirable place to live, work, do business and visit".

He said: "By connecting to the main bus transport network, the trial service will make it easier for town residents to get to other parts of the island, and for bus users living outside St Helier to get to their end destination such as for instance the hospital and markets, rather than having to walk from Liberation Station."

There are plans to extend the service, if approved, to the new hospital site at Overdale.

Exact details of the trial route, including fares, are being finalised by LibertyBus and the government.

The Minister for Infrastructure Deputy Kevin Lewis said the trial's success would be evaluated in line with the island's Sustainable Transport Policy

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