Shelters, tracker app the priority for bus group

The group held its annual general meeting at Moore’s Hotel on Saturday.

It has been a difficult year for the bus service, which reverted to a Saturday service throughout the week during lockdown and later a Sunday timetable, as people stayed home.

After a promising start to the year in January and February, when figures were up 5% and 2% respectively, they collapsed during the lockdown.

April was the quietest month, when lockdown was at its strictest. Just 10,000 journeys were made – 93% down on the year before. May was also 89% down, but the numbers have started to recover. September was 30% down, with numbers being hit by the drop in visitors and cruise ships.

Bug co-ordinator Fergus Dunlop said CT Plus and the civil servants at Bulwer Avenue had done a good job in trying circumstances.

‘I think it was a really big challenge and a lot of them were working from home,’ he said.

‘I think they have done an amazing job, as did the bus drivers.’

He was hopeful the figures would recover over the winter to be just 10% down on last year, but getting people back on the buses during the darker, colder, wetter months could

be a challenge.

A big project for the year is the group’s aim to improve bus shelter provision. There are a limited number and the group has specifically identified Fort Grey and St Martin’s Community Centre as areas which would benefit a number of bus travellers. One possible solution is for the shelter to be sponsored by a company, which would benefit from advertising and helping the community.

Mr Dunlop said the group was also keen to find a way to cut the red tape and make it easier for bus shelters to be put up.

‘There are a number of hurdles to getting a bus shelter put up,’ he said.

‘It can take years. They require planning permission and often they are on private land.’

The Town bus terminus is another important issue for the group. The meeting agreed that while there are discussions under way about overhauling the seafront, and possibly moving the terminus, this should not delay improving the existing one.

Mr Dunlop said the concern was that the over-arching plans could take years to come to fruition, if ever, which would be delaying improvements to bus users’ experience.

The shelters at the terminus have long been a problem, with little cover in windy conditions.

‘We want something put up that would be mainly invisible, like glass, to create a corridor connecting the turrets,’ Mr Dunlop said.

‘The important thing is to have a roof and two sides. There would then be places to get through to the bus. It is quite ambitious.’

While this is quite big, Mr Dunlop said he was keen to find free or low cost options to improve passengers’ journeys as well. One is to promote the bus tracker app, which allows people to see exactly where all the buses are at any time and show how far away they are from their next stops.

‘I think people may not be aware of it,’ Mr Dunlop said.

‘I went to the Grammar School, where pupils are quite technologically minded, and they did not know there was an app. I think the app is a great asset and more people should know about it.’

Another free aim of Bug is to allow bike riders to get on the buses with their bikes in an emergency. Currently only folding bikes are allowed on Guernsey buses, but Mr Dunlop said someone has a problem, like a puncture, they should be allowed to use the bus with their bike.

Buses are overseen by Environment & Infrastructure and the new president is keen cyclist Deputy Lindsay De Sausmarez. Mr Dunlop said they were very pleased with the new president and were looking forward to working with her and her committee.

The bus app can be found on the Google Play store or the app store (for iphone). Keywords when searching are 'Guernsey bus'.