Bus bounceback as usage levels come close to pre-covid mark

Thursday 04 April 2024

The number of passengers using the bus service in Jersey has grown back to virtually the same level reported prior to the pandemic.

LibertyBus announced that a total of 5.01 million passengers were carried on its buses during 2023, just 30,000 shy of the 2019 figure of 5.04m.

The operator, which has run the island's buses since 2013, heralded an "excellent growth in ridership" and said this had stemmed from efforts to continually monitor feedback from passengers and make improvements to services.

Director Kevin Hart said that many UK operators had reported reaching 70-80% of pre-Covid levels during 2023, with 90% considered a successful milestone, LibertyBus had achieved 99.4% of the 2019 mark.

While commuters accounted for 31% of total passenger journeys, with a reduction caused by higher levels of home working, Mr Hart said leisure travel had grown to 37%. There had also been a significant increase in student numbers since the introduction of a fixed £20 annual fare, he added.

"We are immensely proud to witness such excellent growth in ridership," he said.

"We're always reviewing levels of usage and looking to provide more options where we can, including extra services on Sundays and during the evenings.

"We are doing everything we can to stem the amount of traffic on the roads, and will introduce more commuter services if necessary."

Infrastructure Minister Andy Jehan, said: “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 islanders.”

The most recent customer survey by LibertyBus saw 3,200 passengers provide feedback.