Guernsey politician 'cannot promise' current fares as Stagecoach to become island's bus operator

ITV CHANNEL
Stagecoach will take over from CT Plus, who have been operating Guernsey's buses since 2012. Credit: ITV Channel

A Guernsey politician says he "can't promise there won't be any fare increases" for passengers after Stagecoach was chosen to operate the island's public bus service and school routes from April 2025.

The UK-based company's contract will run for five years with the option of extending it for a further two years.

CT Plus has been in charge of Guernsey's public bus routes since 2012 but the island's government now hopes for a smooth transition to Stagecoach taking over operations.

The Government says it hopes Stagecoach will take on staff currently employed by CT Plus.

It adds buses will still be branded with buses.gg rather than showing the name of the operating company.

Deputy Adrian Gabriel, Vice-President of Guernsey's Environment and Infrastructure Committee, told ITV News: "I can't promise there won't be any fare increases. We've got inflationary rises coming at us all the time and fuel's expensive. Running a service like this is expensive."

An earlier statement from Deputy Gabriel said: "We're delighted to appoint Stagecoach as our new bus service provider. They are a well-known and established company with vast experience from their multiple contracts held across the UK.

"As part of the tender process they have already identified some areas for improvement in our network, especially around school bus provision, so we look forward to working with them to see how we can continue to improve our bus service and increase bus use."

The Vice-President added: "We would also like to take this opportunity to thank CT Plus for providing the bus service since they took over in 2012.

"During this time, we have seen a significant increase in the number of bus passengers, introduced new ticketing systems, continually reviewed and updated routes and seen the introduction of a new bus app.

"We would also like to thank in particular the staff and drivers for their efforts in maintaining key services for islanders during the Covid pandemic."

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