Upward trend in bus users

Sunday 23 April 2023

The number of people travelling by bus hit its highest level since 2019 last month.

Individual journeys increased by 2.54% when compared to March 2019 – up to 140,018 from 136,543.

Bus journeys reached a record high of around two million trips in 2019, before the covid pandemic massively disrupted inter-island travel for locals and visitors.

Since 2014 the number of journeys gradually increased year-on-year.

While bus passengers vary throughout the seasons, the States is encouraged that March 2023 saw an increase since the peak visitor season is yet to begin.

Pictured: Deputy Adrian Gabriel.

Deputy Adrian Gabriel, Vice-President of Environment & Infrastructure welcomed the increase, despite a probable simultaneous increase in the number of people home working. 

“Travelling by bus has many benefits – both for individuals and for the wider community. For individuals, travelling by bus is a much more affordable option than travelling by car; you don’t have to think about parking, and you can normally sit and relax on your way to work, school or wherever it is you are going,” he said.

He added that bus travel has many hidden benefits, including for motorists. 

“For the wider community, the more people that travel by bus, the more we all benefit: the less congestion there is on our roads and parking infrastructure, the lower our carbon emissions and air pollution, the greater the public health and safety benefits, the lower the cost to the taxpayer and the stronger wider economic impacts.”