18 December 2009
After managing to keep bus fares at the same price for over 5 years, the Transport and Technical Services Minister has now agreed for all fares to rise by 10p from 1 January 2010. The fare increase will see the adult fares of £1 and £1.50 increase to £1.10 and £1.60 respectively whilst the child/student fare of 50p will increase to 60p. The flat fare of £1 after 7pm will also increase to £1.10 and there will be equivalent increases to the price of passes.
The Minister said “Bus fares haven’t been increased since September 2004 and whilst I am keen to encourage more people onto the buses, fares must be set at a realistic level to minimise the subsidy from the taxpayer to the bus passenger.”
The Minister continued “The cost of living has increased by 18% since the prices last went up so the adult fare is still below what it would have been if we’d increased fares by the cost of living every year.”
Transport and Technical Services (TTS) has also announced that Liberation Station is now open for an extra hour in the evening. The facility now closes at 7.30 pm instead of 6.30 pm and this period covers five bus departures. The Minister said “I am aware that passengers were having to wait outside in the cold and although keeping Liberation Station open throughout the evening would be very expensive and increase the risk of anti social behaviour, I do feel an extra hour will be very helpful to passengers, especially in the run up to Christmas.”
TTS also wants to remind passengers that there will be a Sunday bus service operating on Boxing Day (Saturday 26 December) and an enhanced Sunday service operating on Monday 28 December. The Minister commented “There is normally no bus service on Boxing Day but I am aware that some shops will be opening on the Saturday and that there will be many more, including the market, opening on the Monday. So I have agreed to run a normal Sunday service on Boxing Day but the enhanced service on Monday 28 December will include 6 services operating on Routes 5, 7 and 9 where there is normally no service on a Sunday and a few extra services on Routes 1, 3 and 15 where there are some services. I really hope this helps the public and gives them a choice as to how to travel over these two days.”
Christmas bus services
gov.je