NEARLY 90% of those who responded to a Guernsey Press poll believe that the island’s buses are too big. Of the 1,536 people who responded by telephone or Internet, 1,369 said they were oversized while just 167 disagreed.

Island Coachways managing director Hannah Beacom said that while the imbalance was obviously disappointing, she was pleased that some had given the buses their backing.

‘I’m pleased that we have 167 people who have supported me and it will give us a benchmark to see how things change over the next six to 12 months as the people get more used to the vehicles and more try them,’ she said.

Of the 1,120 phone calls, 1,011 thought the buses were too big while 109 did not. A total of 416 voted online, with 358 thinking they were oversized against 58 who disagreed.

Island Coachways launched a charm offensive last week aimed at what it believes is a public perception that its 33-strong fleet of Myllennium Dart vehicles is oversized.

Mrs Beacom said the issue had been blown out of all proportion and was damaging her company’s reputation.

But she added that the signs were there that people were starting to change their thinking.

‘I’m starting to make inroads against people’s perceptions against these vehicles,’ adding that other initiatives were in the planning stages to help people to change their mind.

She has recently been talking to the Traffic Committee about the possibility of arranging for a new bus and its predecessor, the Metrorider, to be parked alongside one another in a prominent position so people could compare them.

The £3.15m. cost of the fleet will be spread out over the life expectancy of the vehicles, which is estimated at 10-15 years.

Many buses are now almost full at peak times with standing room only, said Mrs Beacom.

She added that it reflected the growing trend in increasing the number of passengers while allowing for the anticipated growth of the services.

Last week, former committee president Peter Bougourd, a key figure in the choice of the buses, defended its decision.

He said that he had no reason to apologise to anyone because he remained convinced that the buses were the right ones for the job.