Guernsey States seeks bus service provider

Guernsey's Environment Department has begun moves to identify a company to run the island's public bus services after March 2012.

Earlier this month Island Coachways, which currently operates the bus service on behalf of the States, pulled out of contract renewal talks.

The department said it planned to chose a preferred partner by 28 December.

However, it said if it was unable to find a supplier the States would look to provide the service in-house.

The department also encouraged any companies that believed they were able to take on the role to contact them.

The buses used to operate the service belong to the States, while Island Coachways provides the drivers and has the lease on the island's only bus depot.

The current contract with Island Coachways, which was due to end on 31 December, has been extended until 31 March.
(from BBC)

You have your own airline and shipping company. You might as well slap a compulsary purchase order on the bus depot and have you own bus company as well.

maybe because the island cant afford it

The current service is subsidised by the State and presumably has been making profits for Island coachways. So if the States owned the bus company the profits would reduced the subsidies currently paid. Therefore you save money !

if you go into the books there is not a lot of profit ,the island coach ways will go broke with in 6 months with o9ut the monies from the states .they are causing a right problem here ,and thee is more than is being told on this matter .
You only have to talk to any LOCAL bus drivers and they will give you a different pictures on it all
and they are not treated very well .and paid little so have to work many many hours to have a decent wage

The info that I have is different, Kat.

ICW made nothing from the scheduled bus service and only made a profit from the other services, this is why they did not fight to keep the bus service. I also know several bus drivers who say that they are happy in their jobs and the way that they are treated.

The big problem for the States is that ICW have the lease for the only bus garage, employ all of the drivers, so will keep the best, own the staff houses etc.

Any new company will be taking over a fleet of clapped out buses, will have to set up a new garage, will have to recruit and train a new labour force and will have to spend millions buying houses for accommodation.

It's not going to be easy for a prospective operator, that's for sure. I think some objectivity is needed, though. The buses are hardly 'clapped out' at their age. I regularly travel on Stagecoach buses that date from 1997-98, that endure far more operating hours and mileage.
Accommodation - Cour du Parc, maybe? Or is that already earmarked for something?
Garage - I thought they were looking at the Pitronnerie site?
I'm sure that there is no shortage of qualified drivers and mechanics, even if it means temporary licenses until a local team can be trained up.
Whatever the outcome, I think the artificially low fares will be a thing of the past. As a comparison, I pay 2.10 for a 3 mile journey (3.60 return ticket). However, a weekly 'Megarider' ticket is good value at 21.10. Unlimited use for a week over the entire region.

All very well but will environment give them the operating license .
and why did IC want to do away with it all.

They knew this was coming up. a few years ago we saw the land that the bus garage was on given to the housing..
Now the land that belongs to the housing department might be the new bus garage..i smell a rat here ... the road leading to this land was made wider by buying a house on the corner and demolishing it .. thus the road is wide enough to take the buses more easiest. i might be chasing the wrong bus here ,, but nothing surprises me in our island as so many things are done behind the doors before we get the information

Just to clarify a point the land at the Pitronnerie site even before the old states houses were torn down was planned to be split, the plans at the time show that 3/4 of the site would be for social housing and the other 1/4 was zoned for industrial "Fred in the Shed" use,

The States have been in negotiation with Sandpiper who own the existing industrial estate road to purchase it, interesting fact that in 1973 the States had plans drawn up to take a roadway from pitronnerie road through to the track, who knows maybe the '73 plan will become reality...

i also think this will go ahead ..sooner rather than later .. but the is a protected field in the way

Interesting Observation they seem to be clearing the "Industrial" side of the redevelopment very quickly over the last few days. I wonder why..lol