Island is running out of buses

GUERNSEY is starting to run out of buses.
Improved services and a lack of replacements mean that a problem is looming when it comes to renewing the fleet.
And in the meantime, because paid parking has not yet been introduced, a funding gap of effectively two years has arisen.
The department will go the States soon with its latest favoured option for charging.
‘We have taken the opportunity to acquire buses whenever they come onto the market, but they are a very specific type of bus. It’s only Gibraltar, Guernsey and Jersey that have a market for them and they are no longer manufactured,’ said Environment minister Peter Sirett.
And he warned that soon it would be necessary to replace the entire fleet.
‘That will be a major issue,’ said Deputy Sirett.
Bus passenger figures are still on the increase and another record was broken last year.(from thisisguernsey)

I am sorry, but I cannot believe that is no coach maker that makes buses to the size required for the Island, seems just another excuse to have bigger buses in the Island, which is a no-no the buses we have at present are too big...

I quite agree they are to big and as for the rubbish about specially made what about these off the shelf.

Link : http://s261370817.websitehome.co.uk/products.php?ID=3&Index=2

It does seem somewhat strange that a certain States dept does not appear to have researched what other communities that have similiar issues as we have are doing (they may have but that impression is not given). There are other manufacturers of suitable sized buses that would be better for our roads than the 'mobile green & yellow roundabouts'! There must be alternatives.

I think Optares would be good for the island,I drive them at the moment and are nice to drive.

However,they are as wide as IC's buses now,even at the 2.33m width,so there still will be pavement climbing,they don't have as good a steering lock on them so they will still have to take corners reasonably wide to avoid catching the nearside. But......they look smaller nad that will fool alot of people. IC may get away with it if they buy these.

Andy T, island coachways do not purchase or own the buses, we the tavpayers do, and I am sure that as the buses are only 6 years old they will have many more years of service left, this is just more scaremongering by a totally inefficient States who havn't got a clue on how to manage our money. The buses are far to big for Guernsey roads and should be replaced by a lot smaller fleet of buses when they are finally ready for replacement.

In most parts of the UK, it appears that LARGE buses are used where there is the road space to use them and where there is the need and use of them by the local community. In smaller towns, and parts of Scotland, smaller buses more appropriate for the size of the roads and usage by the comnmunity are used. Have we got it right? Doh..... I don't think so......

I agree dick,there is plenty of life in those buses yet. But I don't think smaller buses would be the answer. Perhaps in certain areas of the island,eg down by the barbarie hotel and down to jerbourg,but you will still need big ish buses in the summer especially. I don't think they are too big for the roads as lorries and trucks fill the same kind of space,and I never had a problem manouvering around anything with a bit of care and courtesy.

I live in Wales now which has some very narrow roads and we take 70 seater coaches down them.....nobody complains.

Thing is Andy, when you were driving them you knew how to drive, some of the muppets driving these days beggar belief.
Come back Andy !!!

Andy T wrote:I
I live in Wales now which has some very narrow roads and we take 70 seater coaches down them.....nobody complains.

:)