Two-college model may need nearly all of CT Plus’s buses

Education, Sport & Culture plans to deal with increased traffic around the two sites for the new Lisia School by encouraging more young people to walk and get the bus.

Under the most conservative estimates provided in the traffic impact assessments for the two new colleges at Les Beaucamps and St Sampson’s high school sites, nearly every one of CT Plus’s buses could be needed to operate to get pupils to and from schools.

The buses would also have to operate at full capacity, which would include 11 pupils standing.

Island Coachways could also be used, but most of its buses have a lower capacity.

Currently, there are 54 dedicated secondary school bus services – using a variety of different-sized buses – for the three high schools and the Grammar School – 24 in the morning and 30 in the evening using a variety of vehicles.

Under the new plans, at least 30 large buses would be needed.

A Traffic Impact Assessment for the new colleges said that the closure of La Mare de Carteret and the Grammar School would not provide enough buses to cover the number ESC would require.

‘Whilst some of these school bus services could be transferred from other secondary schools which are closing, there may be a requirement to source additional buses and drivers,’ the traffic impact assessment states.

‘It is understood that Education, Sport & Culture and Environment & Infrastructure have started to investigate how these additional services can be introduced.’

Currently 39% – 169 pupils – use the school bus to get to Les Beaucamps.

Under the traffic plans this would this would triple to 520 in the morning and 630 in the afternoon.

St Sampson’s sees about 30% of pupils – 199 – using the bus.

This would need to at least double under the plans.

An ESC spokesperson said a member of the school transition team was looking at transport and they had been liaising with transport providers.

‘We will continue working with transport providers and we will jointly shape the future arrangements and we are very confident we will have a package of opportunities which will be attractive to transport providers,’ they said.

‘Requirements will always vary during any transition model because the number of students in each school or college varies during each year of that transition model and therefore our planning has to be flexible to take that into account. The substantial increase in the number of students in the two 11-18 colleges remains two years away or more and therefore there is adequate time to work with transport providers to plan for the future changes in demand.’

ESC will go out to tender for the service once it has a clear idea of demand.

‘As part of that tender process, any provider submitting a proposal to run the service would need to satisfy that they had the necessary infrastructure in place – including enough vehicles and drivers – to meet the demand,’ the spokesperson said,

‘We expect the detailed specification of that tender to be developed during 2020.’

The spokesperson said they knew how many pupils would be attending the colleges over the next few years and this would shape the new contract.