Stagecoach to take over as bus operator in April
BUS services will be run by a new operator from April next year.
Stagecoach will replace CT Plus after winning a tender process run by the Environment & Infrastructure Committee.
The deal, which was announced this morning, includes operating the island’s school bus routes.
Stagecoach, founded in 1980, is billed as the UK’s largest transport operator, with services connecting more than 100 major towns and cities, and it has 23,000 employees.
E&I said the new operator would look to take on CT Plus’s existing staff and to start services as soon as the current contract ends on 31 March. The States will continue to own the bus fleet and the leases for the depot, terminus and information shop.
‘We expect an orderly transition, with no significant disruption to services during the handover,’ said E&I vice-president Adrian Gabriel.
The five-year contract has an option to extend for a further two years. There will be no change to the appearance of the buses on the island’s roads. They will continue to be branded with ‘buses.gg’ rather than the operator’s name.
Deputy Gabriel said Stagecoach had vast experience of running multiple services across the UK.
‘As part of the tender process, they have already identified some areas for improvement in our network, especially around school bus provision, so we look forward to working with them to see how we can continue to improve our bus service and increase bus use,’ he said.
Stagecoach's operations director for the south-west, Katie Wagstaff, said the company was delighted to be serving the island.
‘We’re really excited to meet the people employed and to work with them and use our knowledge and their knowledge together to enhance the current great bus service in place,’ she said.
Some Stagecoach services operate in smaller and rural parts of the UK and the company said it understood how to run buses in narrow roads. ‘This important and high-profile contract provides us with the opportunity to bring safe, high-quality bus services to the island over the coming years, keeping these communities connected to the people and places that matter most,’ said the company’s south-west managing director, Peter Knight.
CT Plus has operated the island’s bus services since 2012. After a difficult start, passenger numbers recovered and a new ticketing system and bus app were introduced.
‘We would like to thank in particular the staff and drivers for their efforts in maintaining key services for islanders during the Covid pandemic,’ said Deputy Gabriel.
E&I declined to answer questions about the financial details of the new contract.
