Drop in tourist numbers harmed bus passengers stats, says CT Plus
A DROP in the number of tourists has contributed to a decline in bus passengers, CT Plus has said.
General manager Kevin Hart was responding for the first time to a recalculation of user numbers which showed that 120,000 fewer passengers have been carried since the operator's takeover in 2012 than previously believed.
He said, however, that CT Plus was optimistic about the prospect of the States' transport strategy reversing the long-term decline in bus users.
That will be debated in March.
'Changing lifestyles and increased car ownership have driven down bus passenger numbers in the British Isles since the 1950s, and Guernsey has been close to car ownership saturation for several years,' he said.
He added there had been a further decline in tourists visiting the island this year, which had also had an impact on passenger numbers.
'A debate about what is needed for Guernsey residents in terms of a bus service will help focus on what is important to people,' he said.
