Environment powerless to penalise bus operator
Wednesday 20th March 2013, 10:00AM GMT.
Environment has no power to penalise Guernsey’s bus operator for its declining passenger numbers, it has emerged.
The department yesterday said it had a range of penalties at its disposal in its contract with CT Plus, but was powerless to step in to stop the accelerating passenger decline in Guernsey – despite the service’s £2.4m. annual subsidy from taxpayers.
The news follows criticism over some of the proposed changes being made to the timetable, as part of an overhaul of services by CT Plus.
But despite this, the operator has remained resolute in its belief that the new proposals – including improved commuter services and the introduction of night buses on Fridays and Saturdays – could reverse the trend.
Responding the day after Environment minister Deputy Roger Domaille admitted that Guernsey’s current bus service was failing, CT Plus operations manager Camilla Poole, pictured, said: ‘Obviously we want to raise passenger numbers.’
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Maybe we should have stuck with the Old bus company in the first place.
But with cost cutting this is what you end up with
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Agreed, Mark
Next on the list…. Beau Sejour….
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It wasn’t the States who chose to get rid of the old bus company: they asked for more money than the States were prepared to pay, so they chose to leave instead.
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Well maybe they had more insight and experience into how our bus service needed to be financed and run, rather than some States Civil Servant.
And hence that’s why they needed more money. I feel Guernsey bus run it pretty well
At the time.
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Some ideas: –
1/ Limit cars to 1 per household
2/ Tax parking spaces, public and private, in town.
3/ Raise petrol and diesel taxes
4/ Bus and taxi priority routes.
5/ Reward employers who employ staff who take bus – or cycle!
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Personally I like the proposals, they seem to make sense. Everyone I have spoken to who don’t currently use the buses seem very interested and seem like they’d be keen to use some of the services, especially the night buses.
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Please enlighten me which proposals make so much more sense ?
The increase in prices ?
The cancellation of the round the island route ?
The introduction of the North to Airport route which was served by the round the island route anyway ?
The slight changes in the route network ?
The re-numbering of all routes for no apparent reason ?
Or the late bus service on some routes two days a week.
Apart from the last proposal, I see nothing beneficial at all.
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I thought the subsidy was £2.0 m per year and part of the problem with Island Coachways was that the States were trying to reduce the subsidy by £0.25 m.
Can someone enlighten us ?
The subsidy should also be logically tied in with numbers. There is the school bus service, ( is that included in the above £2.4m or not ), and the free travel for the over 65s. It stands to reason they must base the subsidy on those passenger numbers, if they have not done that then, well, what a bunch of nincompoops !
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Another states shambles to add to the very long list.
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I don’t see how they can penalise them – yes maybe CT Plus could do things better but there’s only so much they can do. Unless Environment decide they are going to take strategic measures to actively reduce car usage, buses will always be onto a loser over here. It’s really up to the people of Guernsey to decide what they want.
Incidentally my experience of CT Plus is positive. Also, my mother in law visited the island recently and commented how good our bus service was in comparison to the UK.
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“Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into”
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That bus behind the lady could do with a clean. Just sayin.
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maybe thats why its in the depot
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I’M not going to criticize but has the state’s and Ct plus ever thought of giving the 7 and 7a
To another bus and coach company to run
Then CT plus could concentrate on other the services
Hope so.e one from either will look it up
It would work ……
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The Buses will never be a viable option on Guernsey, the car rules. The Deputies know that limiting car ownership or usage would be political suicide. The Deputies have not had the stomach to pass paid parking, so they will certainly never have the stomach to limit car ownership.
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Another way to lok at this is that if The States can’t cancel the CT Plus contract then this could prompt CT Plus to deliberately run the service down citing lack of numbers (deliberately so – why else get rid of high number routes.
The service is then so bad that The States release CT Plus with the remainder of subsidy of doing nothing £2.4m or so.
If CT Plus continuetiune without
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The 7/7a was allways quiet in wintertime Run round the island by me self a few times.as a former bus driver on geurnsey i think reducing the 7/7a in winter is viable but in summer ? what about the tourists at PLIENMONT,L,EREE, PERRELLE and VAZON.Do they have to walk to ST PETER PORT to visit?
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