Deputy Monfort Tadier’s proposition was passed by 22 votes to 17 and means Islanders will not have to pay for two tickets if they change buses.
Proposals for tickets to be the same price whether purchased through card or cash were rejected, along with calls for an on-board facility to top up Avanchi cards.
In his speech, the St Brelade Deputy said the transfer tickets that have been put in place by Liberty Bus do not go far enough. Currently, Liberty Bus sells transfer tickets for £3.50 when paid by card and £4 when paid for in cash. A single journey costs £2 with a card and £2.30 in cash.
Deputy Tadier, of Reform Jersey, said: ‘The principle is quite simple, we want to encourage bus ridership as much as possible and this has been an atypical year for Liberty Bus who have been trying to maintain a service through a health crisis. It should be possible for any bus user to get from point A to point B for the same price, irrespective of if they want to change. People already have the inconvenience of having to change buses and now we’re charging people for that inconvenience.’
He added that there should not be a different price structure depending on how you choose to pay, saying that ‘you don’t pay different prices for a coffee dependent on if you are paying with card or cash’.
Infrastructure Minister Kevin Lewis urged Members to vote against the proposition, saying it could lead to cuts and financial losses.
He said: ‘The two main reasons to reject it are to not make policy on the hoof, and the financial implications.
‘I’ve said several times that Liberty Bus operate under a contract, and people misunderstand what this means. Their business is their business, we cannot dictate what to do with their money or how they operate.
‘If approved it would mean we would need to seek a variation of the contract. There is no evidence it would increase ridership and it would be unlikely that would offset a loss of income.
‘I do not have any spare budget to reallocate funds or take money away from other priorities. I could ask Liberty Bus to make cuts or increase fares, but that goes against making public transport attractive.’
Deputy Inna Gardiner challenged the minister, saying the government should be able to reopen the contract as Liberty Bus was a social enterprise subsidised by the government.
Politicians praised the service provided by Liberty Bus, with many split on how they would vote.
Deputy Hugh Raymond said he could not back the proposition because any cuts in services would impact on rural parishes such as Trinity. Deputy Judy Martin criticised Deputy Tadier for telling Members there would be no financial implications.
However, Deputy Lindsay Ash said if the government was serious about getting people on buses then they needed to back moves such as this.
Senator Sam Mézec added: ‘Some people have criticised
this as policy on the hoof. Well, at least it is policy. That is more than we seem to be getting from elsewhere when it comes to public transport.’
