Bus figures include more than 200k free rides
I SEE from the Press of 11 January that CT Plus has carried more than 2,375,000 passengers since taking over the service in April 2012. The one important fact I have never seen mentioned concerning passenger numbers is the breakdown between those who have paid and those who have travelled free because of their age.
It is obvious that if a large percentage of these passengers do not have to pay, CT Plus have suffered because if they have a bus full of non-payers, they have received no income, while their costs have gone up. This can make a major difference when calculating the viability of the service.
Perhaps someone could explain if the figures quoted contain everyone or just those that pay.
TONY MCDADE,
Flat 10, The Russels,
Grandes Maisons Road,
St Sampson's,
GY2 4JU.
Editor's footnote: A spokesperson for the Environment Department responds: 'Published bus passenger figures include all passenger journeys irrespective of whether a fare is paid by the bus user. The existing contract with CT Plus clearly defines all the passenger categories and the respective fare types that apply.
In terms of scheduled bus services, free passage is afforded to old age pensioners and all States school children travelling in uniform during school start and finish times. During 2013, CT Plus carried a total of 1,354,993 passengers, of which 205,854 were carried at no charge. Of these, 173,250 were OAPs and 8,821 were States school children travelling in uniform. In addition, some 23,783 passengers were carried free of charge as part of a promotional initiative when CT Plus introduced the new summer timetable in May of last year or as part of other historical ticket exchange agreements.
Since April 2012, CT Plus has carried in excess of 2,551,045 passengers on scheduled bus services, of which 360,380 were carried at no cost to the bus user.
In addition to the above, CT Plus also operates a number of dedicated school bus services. This is a key element of the existing contract and the services are timetabled to integrate with the existing scheduled bus services. There is no charge to any of the pupils for using these services and the passenger carryings are not included within the published scheduled bus passenger figures. During 2013, some 193,609 school children made use of this service. Since April 2012, CT Plus has carried 332,531 school children in total on these services.'
