Liberty Bus trials direct link to Hospice

Sunday 23 September 2018

A "valuable" bus link from town to Jersey Hospice Care will launch next month, following calls from islanders.

Liberty Bus will be trialling out the new route through Mont Cochon over the next six months.

The Route 6 service will run four times daily, Monday to Friday, for six months starting from 1 October.

The changes come following a public consultation held in July where members of the public were invited to provide comments and feedback for the winter service. 

Pictured: The new route was described as a "vital link" for Jersey Hospice staff, patients, and their families and friends.

A spokesperson for Liberty Bus explained that at least seven suggestions were made for buses to go to Mont Cochon. The company had previously received further calls as part of the summer timetable consultation in January. They said: "Added to this, we have had general customer feedback throughout the year regarding this route plus conversations with Jersey Hospice who felt the route would be of real benefit."

Kevin Hart, Director of LibertyBus, commented: “We’re particularly pleased to be able to trial the new Route 6 this winter to service Jersey Hospice Care. Customer feedback during the consultation highlighted a need to provide a link for staff and visitors to the Hospice as well as for residents in the area. We hope the trial proves successful and we can continue to provide a service to the area.”

The news of the bus trial was gladly received by Jersey Hospice at a time where they are working to expand their services to children. Chief Executive, Emelita Robbins, said: "We are very grateful to LibertyBus for setting up this service, which will benefit patients and their families, staff and volunteers and all other visitors to Jersey Hospice Care."

The new Route 6 is not the only new addition to LibertyBus' Winter timetable. The company is also introducing Sunday services in two parishes where there were previously none. The Trinity Route 4 will be enhanced with a shorter Route 4A, running four times a day. The Route 19, which goes through the La Pouquelaye and Westmount, will also have a Sunday service running four times a day.

Pictured: The new Route 6 will take people from town to Mont Cochon, where Jersey Hospice Care is based.

Other amendments include the extension of Route 1A and Route 2 additional evening and Sunday services through the winter. Route 7A will be discontinued and replaced by a Route 7 which is currently at capacity during peak times.

An additional service will run on Route 13 in the evening, to provide a connection from St Martin to Gorey. There will also be an additional morning service on Route X22 which has proven very successful. Route 28 will also see additional service in the Autumn.

Mr Hart said customer feedback was crucial when developing the new timetables. “Public opinion is vital in helping us shape the future of the bus service. Whilst it’s not always possible to incorporate all of the suggestions we receive we do take all of the feedback on-board and do what we can to meet our customer’s needs.”