Inaccuracies have been uncovered in monthly reports which the company is required to submit to the States to verify the reliability of its services.
Environment & Infrastructure is currently probing unreliable figures provided by Stagecoach for its performance in August and September.
‘Following an investigation carried out by the States, and as a result of data inaccuracy in the submission of its monthly reports, the committee is not confident that Stagecoach is currently complying with all requirements of the contract. The committee is discussing the matter with Stagecoach and will apply any penalties as appropriate,’ said E&I vice-president Sally Rochester yesterday.
The previous operator, CT Plus, was fulfilling its contract when it was replaced by Stagecoach in April 2025. E&I claimed that the method of reporting had improved since then.
Stagecoach fulfilled its contractual requirement to deliver 99% of scheduled bus services each month until the end of July, except during Storm Goretti in January, but concerns about data submitted since then prompted an enhanced review by States officials.
‘Traffic & Highway Services [a division of E&I] cross-references the monthly reports against ticketing information available to them,’ said Deputy Rochester.
‘Triggered by this reviewing process, and alongside public feedback, officials have identified data quality issues in the information submitted.
‘We are now working with Stagecoach to address these issues, and we will provide further details in relation to future communication and transparency in due course.’
As a result of the uncertainty about data submitted by Stagecoach, the States was unable to say how many scheduled bus services the company had failed to operate so far in 2026.
Stagecoach insisted it ‘achieved the contractual performance measures up to August 2026’ but the company failed to provide figures when asked how many services it had missed, compared on a like-for-like basis, last year and this year.
‘We acknowledge there have been some cancelled and disrupted services, particularly during August and the implementation of the new network in September,’ said a Stagecoach spokesman.
‘As a result, we have taken several steps to improve reliability and reduce cancellations.
‘These include recruiting additional drivers, securing further staff accommodation and investing in engineering solutions to improve fleet availability. We apologise to customers affected and continue to work closely with the States.’
E&I is also in talks with Stagecoach about the possibility of reversing some of the cuts in opening hours the company has made to its shop at the Town Terminus.
Despite opening for fewer hours, the committee said the company was still operating the shop in accordance with the requirements of its contract.
‘While they have reported lower staffing levels across August, we understand recruitment and additional resources have now been obtained,’ said Deputy Rochester.
‘We are continuing to speak with Stagecoach about how we can improve communications with passengers, including the potential of shop opening hours.’
The Stagecoach spokesman declined to say how and why the company had reduced opening hours and staffing levels at its shop, but insisted its arrangements ‘reflected seasonal demand and operational requirements’, and said they were reviewed periodically to meet the needs of customers and its contract.