Jersey bus passenger numbers return to pre-pandemic levels

Infrastructure Minister, Constable Andy Jehan, says the figures are a welcome boost as many islanders continue working from home. Credit: ITV Channel

Jersey's bus passenger figures have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

New statistics from LibertyBus found that 2023 figures achieved 100% of pre-covid levels in 2019.

This is in stark contrast to England, which only reached 82.9% of pre-pandemic levels in the year ending March 2023, compared to the year ending March 2020.

In 2023, Jersey recorded more than five million individual bus journeys.

LibertyBus Director, Kevin Hart, says: "We are immensely proud to witness such excellent growth in ridership throughout the island."

A LibertyBus survey with more than 3,200 responses found that commuting had reduced slightly due to homeworking.

However, leisure travelling surpassed commuting, making up 37% of bus users.

Infrastructure Minister, Constable Andy Jehan, says: “It’s brilliant news to see the number of islanders taking the bus has returned to pre-covid levels, despite more of our working population now working from home.

"As someone who uses the bus, I have seen for myself the increased numbers on the buses, and we continue to work closely with LibertyBus to ensure that public transport is serving our islanders."

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