Thursday 05 July 2012
Environment Department response to media enquiry from Guernsey Press.
Guernsey Press enquiry:
I understand that on the radio Roger Domaille said the department had sent civil servants on the buses as 'secret passengers' to monitor the level of service.
Can you confirm this?
How many people were involved?
How many hours was spent on this?
Is this not something deputies could have done?
Environment Department Response:
This is nothing new and the Environment Department monitors all of its contracts. Since the commencement of the CT Plus operation, there have been a couple of occasions in recent weeks when staff have travelled on scheduled bus services for the purpose of monitoring operations. This has currently involved just two staff for a total of eight hours.
This is just one of several means of monitoring the scheduled bus contract. The Department is in regular contact with CT Plus and is kept well informed of the day to day issues affecting operations. We also receive general comments and observations from a variety of bus and non-bus users, including States members, and this information together with information that we have gathered ourselves is used to help monitor the performance of the contractor.
Whilst anecdotal evidence and information provided by the contractor is valuable to the Department, it is equally important to gather our own information on what is after all a multi million pound contract subsidised, in part, by public funds.
As part of the contract it was agreed that the Department and the operator would sit down to review operations after a settlement period of three months after commencement of the 2012 Summer Timetable. The Department looks forward to holding this meeting with CT Plus in due course.
Contact Information:
Karl Guille, Traffic and Transport Services Manager
Environment Department
Tel: 243400
