New firm to run bus network from April

Stagecoach will replace CT Plus which has operated the buses in Guernsey since 2012

Guernsey's bus services will be run by a different company from next April.

UK-based Stagecoach has won a five-year contract to operate the island's scheduled bus routes and integrated school bus routes, after which it can opt to continue for a further two years.

The States of Guernsey said Stagecoach would be seeking to take on the staff employed by the current provider, CT Plus, which has run the service since 2012.

There will be no change to the buses' appearance, the States added.

'Key services'

Deputy Adrian Gabriel, Vice-President of the Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure, said: “As part of the tender process they [Stagecoach] 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."

He thanked CT Plus for providing the bus service for the past 12 years in which time passenger numbers have risen, new ticketing systems have been introduced, routes updated and an app set up, he said.

"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,” he added.

'Immensely proud'

Kevin Hart, of Tower Transit Group, which took over the ownership of CT Plus in 2022, said the decision "reflects the States of Guernsey’s desire to take the bus service in a different direction".

He said the firm was "disappointed" by the outcome but "immensely proud of all we have accomplished".

He added that the group had upgraded the IT infrastructure and launched the Buses.gg app which had been downloaded by 35,000 users.

Mr Hart said: "It is unfortunate that we did not have the opportunity to continue with the ambitious improvement plans we had in place."

He thanked the team for its hard work and the public for its support.

Peter Knight, managing director of Stagecoach South West, said his team was looking forward to "keeping these communities connected to the people and places that matter most".