Night service bus fare could rise 50p to £3 from January
MORE buses to the Little Chapel in the summer and higher fares for the night service have been proposed.
An Environment & Infrastructure spokesperson said a review had been conducted of the bus service to ensure it continues to meet the needs of the community.
Changes will happen from January if they are adopted.
‘The number of passengers using the bus service continues to increase,’ the spokesperson said.
‘There has been an additional demand in passengers wishing to visit the Little Chapel over the summer months, following its refurbishment, which has led to capacity issues on a number of occasions.
‘Accordingly, it is being proposed to increase frequency during the off-peak period on the route 71 from an hourly service to a half-hourly service between 9.35am and 1.35pm Monday to Saturday.’
However, some routes have seen a decrease in the number of passengers using the service.
‘In comparison, there is a significant reduction in passenger demand on the off-peak services on the route 81 in the winter months and so it is being proposed that the services here are reduced from half-hourly to hourly between 9.50am and 2.50pm Monday to Saturday in the winter months between 12 October and 11 April.’
The additional summer early evening services introduced in 2019 on Routes 11, 21, 32, 81, 91 and 92 proved popular this year and will also be reintroduced between 13 April and 10 October 2020.
There will also be a number of minor timing changes to stops within a route’s journey, in order to improve reliability. These changes will not have any impact on existing departure times from the Town Terminus.
In terms of fares, proposed increases would affect the nightbus service, which would see an increase of 50p to £3, and Pay As You Go, which would increase by 5p to 65p per journey.
Contactless payments would continue to be used on buses to pay for single tickets, such as the £1 single fare, £3 nightbus service and £5 day pass ticket, which can also be used on the 91 and 92 bus routes as an island tour.
The Guernsey Explorer, a private hire service operated by Island Coachways, will also operate again next summer from the Picquet House stand as an alternative option for cruise ship passengers and other tourists.
The changes are planned to be introduced from Monday 6 January 2020.
n Comments on the proposed changes can be made until Friday 29 November by emailing traffic@gov.gg or by writing to Traffic and Highway Services, Bulwer Avenue, St Sampson’s, GY1 3HY.
