Cheap child bus pass 'hugely successful'

The number of journeys by children using Jersey's bus company has risen by almost half a million journeys since a cheaper bus pass was introduced.

LibertyBus' AvanchiCard scheme gives under 18s access to unlimited use of the service for £25 a year.

The States voted to approve the plans in December 2021 as part of the Jersey Government Plan.

Kevin Hart, director of LibertyBus, said children used the school buses for 1.1 million journeys in 2024, up from 650,000 in 2021.

Despite having reservations at the start, Mr Hart said the scheme had been "hugely successful".

"I wasn't in favour because I knew young people would catch a bus for one or two stops, and then get off," he told BBC Radio Jersey.

"But now 20% of our passengers are children, which is a really good thing because they are the future bus users."

Mr Hart said the fact the school buses were so full meant fewer cars were on the roads for the school run.

"[Children] accept that the bus is convenient and it's actually given parents so much more freedom. They don't have to pick them up or drop them off at school," he said.

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