Guernsey Seeks Public Input on Planned Bus Fare Rises

The States of Guernsey intends to raise bus fares, marking the second such increase within a 15-month period, citing “increasing operating costs.” The Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure (E&I) announced it is soliciting feedback from islanders regarding these proposed adjustments, which are slated to take effect on 1 January 2025. Under the proposed scheme, the cost of a standard daytime journey would rise by 10p, moving from £1.50 to £1.60, a change the committee stated was “in line with inflation.” Additionally, the committee has put forward a proposal for the pay-as-you-go PuffinPass daytime journey fare to increase from £1 to £1.15, an adjustment that is above inflation. It stated this would “offset the increases in the existing bus contract costs.” This initiative comes after a previous bus fare increase implemented in October 2023, at which time the standard daytime journey price advanced from £1.25 to £1.50. Those earlier revisions were part of measures the government indicated would generate approximately £250,000 annually, with the aim “to save a taxpayer subsidy.”