CT Plus, which runs the service locally, has provided a bus-tracker on a dedicated app for some years, but this has been discontinued.

The company is owned by HCT Group, which also operates buses in Jersey.

Customers there are able to follow the progress of their buses via a map on the States of Jersey website, pictured right, which shows the buses moving along the routes in real time.

The users’ group has recently submitted a response – one of 31 which were made – to a public consultation on fare rises which the States is suggesting should be introduced from the end of the month. There are also proposals to change some of the routes.

‘The key point of our response was to ask Environment & Infrastructure to withhold approval for these changes until CT Plus has returned to providing its tracker,’ said group chairman Fergus Dunlop.

‘There is good and bad in the proposed changes, for various bus users, but the important thing is that the implementation has to work. That means customers having up-to-date information so that they know exactly what is going on.’

Mr Dunlop said he was impressed with the company’s services and its punctuality and reliability in particular, but past changes had been poorly communicated.

‘A live bus tracker would be a saving grace of any changes being made,’ he said, ‘and if there is ever a time to extract a piece of behaviour out of an organisation, it’s when they’re asking you for something.’

The Guernsey Buses app is still downloadable but simply carries a single-page message which reads: ‘App discontinued. Dear Guernsey bus user, thank you for using the Guernsey buses app. We’ve just upgraded the main buses.gg website so that it works really well on your phone. The new website means we’re decommissioning the app and it will no longer be supported. We’re advising all bus users to visit www.buses.gg instead. Best wishes, The CT Plus Guernsey team.’

The website currently shows timetables and has a journey planner.

A spokesman for CT Plus said live tracking information would return but was unable to give any indication as to when that would happen.

‘While the website is a standard that other places use, we know however, that Guernsey has buses affected by roadworks, and hope to have “live times” as a feature,’ the spokesman said.

‘This way passengers can see if their buses are being delayed by diversions being made before a bus arrives. This is being worked on by the web development team and we hope to have this addition as soon as possible.’

THERE has been a high number of bus service cancellations due to staffing issues this week.

There were 22 due to ‘staff availability’ on Monday and a further 21 were announced yesterday as of 4pm.

This compares with three cancellations last Friday.

The company has been updating passengers using its Facebook page, however travellers have not always been getting much warning.

At 8.30am yesterday the company posted an update about five services being cancelled.

All of them were due to leave before 8.30am, including one at 6.20am.

. CT Plus did not respond to a request to comment.