Transport in Guernsey

Last updated

Guernsey is the second largest of the Channel Islands. It is part of the Common Travel Area, allowing passport-free travel to and from the United Kingdom, Jersey, the Isle of Man or Ireland. Travel to the Schengen Area of Europe requires a passport or an EU national identity document and from 2025 entry to the Schengen Area will require compliance with the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS) and non EU citizens may need a visa. Entry from the Schengen Area requires a passport, except when a concession is in place for short trips to Guernsey, when an EU ID card is acceptable.

Contents

This article includes some references to Alderney and Sark, which are part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

Road transport

Ruette Tranquille sign Guernsey July 2010 Ruette Tranquille.jpg
Ruette Tranquille sign

Traffic in Guernsey drives on the left. Roads are generally narrow, with an all-island speed limit of 35 miles per hour (56 km/h), however lower speed limits apply on certain roads. Motor tax was abolished in Guernsey from 1 January 2008. There are seven taxi ranks in St Peter Port. Vehicle registration plates in Guernsey carry between one and five numerals only; the international identification sticker/plate is "GBG".

Most road markings are the same as the UK, with the exception of:

Buses

CT Plus Guernsey Bus CT Plus Guernsey Bus.jpg
CT Plus Guernsey Bus
Former Guernsey bus - now preserved UK Guernsey tour bus 75 Albion Nimbus JNP 590C Metrocentre rally 2009 pic 1.JPG
Former Guernsey bus - now preserved UK

Bus services are operated by CT Plus Guernsey on behalf of the Environment Department of the States of Guernsey (the island's government). CT Plus was acquired by Tower Transit, owned by Kelsian Group, in September 2022 following the administration and subsequent collapse of CT Plus's parent company HCT Group. [1] [2] They are currently branded as Buses.gg. Vehicles used are based on buses used in the UK but with a slightly narrower construction, to allow them to circulate on the island's narrow roads, legal limit 2.31 meters (7' 6¾"). A number of narrower (and shorter) StreetVibe buses arrived from May 2017. [3]

Most bus fares have a fixed price of £1.25 per journey, which is set to rise to £1.50 as a result of inflation on 1st October 2023, [4] however fares also alternate depending on service types. Payments can only be made by contactless or by 'Puffin Pass', these passes come in different varieties covering Pay As You Go which is reduced to 75p, unlimited travel for a day or more, student passes for ages 5-16, concession cards for ages 65+ and family travel passes which are also available. 1.65m journeys were taken in 2016. [5] Bus usage increased year on year reaching a record high of 2 million journeys in 2019. However usage subsequently fell due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2023, monthly usage was higher than pre-pandemic levels for the first time. [6]

Private hire coaches and coach tours are available from Intransit, Island Coachways, and Island Taxis.

Cycling

Cycling is encouraged in Guernsey. Although there are currently few cycle lanes on main roads, the Ruettes Tranquilles provide safer and more pleasant cycle-friendly roads. The States of Guernsey provides details of cycling laws and recommendations for safety as well as details of cycle hire businesses. Sark is a popular cycle-friendly island.

Taxis

Guernsey has a regulated, licensed taxi service based at three ranks in central St Peter Port, St Sampson's (at 'The Bridge') and at Guernsey Airport. Taxis can also be called or phoned.

Accessible taxis capable of transporting a wheelchair passenger and with improved lighting to assist people who may have a visual impairment are available.

Visit Guernsey website has a list of taxi operators.

Petit Train

A "Petit Train" called "Victor" transports people around St Peter Port throughout the summer months.

Carbon output

With effect from 2030 the sale of new combustion engine cars will be banned, this forms part of the net-zero climate change plan. [7]

Air transport

Guernsey Airport is located 3 miles (5 km) south-west of St Peter Port, the island's capital. Airlines operating scheduled services to and from Guernsey include Aurigny (owned by the States of Guernsey) and Blue Islands year round. British Airways operates seasonal and charter summer services to the UK and Europe, operated by its subsidiary BA CityFlyer. [8]

Alderney Airport has regular scheduled flights to Southampton and Guernsey operated by Aurigny.

Both airports have private aircraft facilities and annual air rallies.

Maritime transport

Condor Ferries operate services to Poole and Portsmouth in England, Cherbourg and St Malo in France, and to Jersey. Condor Ferries became the main operator to the UK following the closure of British Channel Island Ferries in 1994. Previously Sealink (and its railway ferries predecessors) had been the main operator for many decades. Freight goes on a traditional ferry via Portsmouth.

The French company Manche Îles Express operates a summer passenger-only ferry service between Guernsey and three small ports in Normandy, France: Barneville-Carteret, Diélette and Granville. Not every port is served daily.

The Isle of Sark Shipping Company operates small ferries to Sark. The service takes up to 45 minutes for the 9 miles (14 km) crossing.

Travel Trident operates small ferries to Herm during the summer months. [9] The island also operates its own ferry service between Guernsey and Herm all year round [10]

The Alderney Ferry Service operates a small ferry between Guernsey and Alderney during summer months. [11]

Alderney Shipping operates freight routes between Poole, Jersey, Guernsey and Alderney.

Railways

Alderney

The Alderney Railway provides a rail link of approximately two miles, with a regular timetabled service during the summer months and at seasonal festivals including Easter and Christmas. It is now the only working railway on the Channel Islands to provide a public transport link. It is also one of the oldest railways in the British Isles, dating from 1847, and carried Queen Victoria and Prince Albert as the first 'official' passengers in 1857. [12]

There is also a 7+1⁄4 in (184 mm) gauge miniature railway on Alderney, which operates during the summer months. [13]

Guernsey

There are currently no railway services on Guernsey. The Guernsey Railway, which was virtually an electric tramway, and which began working on 20 February 1892, was abandoned on 9 June 1934. It replaced an earlier transport system which was worked by steam, and was named the Guernsey Steam Tramway. The latter began service on 6 June 1879 with six locomotives. [14]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Channel Islands</span> Archipelago in the English Channel

The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They are divided into two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consisting of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and some smaller islands. Historically, they are the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy. Although they are not part of the United Kingdom, the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands as it is for the other Crown Dependency, the Isle of Man, and the British Overseas Territories. The Crown Dependencies are neither members of the Commonwealth of Nations, nor part of the European Union. They have a total population of about 171,916, and the bailiwicks' capitals, Saint Helier and Saint Peter Port, have populations of 33,500 and 18,207 respectively.

Gibraltar has a limited public transport system, due to the compact size of the territory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guernsey</span> Island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy

Guernsey is the second largest island in the Channel Islands, located 27 miles (43 km) west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited islands and many small islets and rocks. The Bailiwick has a population of 63,950, the vast majority of whom live on Guernsey, and the island has a land area of 24 square miles (62 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Jersey</span> Overview and history of transport in Jersey

Transport in Jersey is primarily through the motor vehicle. The island, which is the largest of the Channel Islands has 124,737 registered vehicles (2016). The island is committed to combatting climate change, having declared a climate emergency, and policy is focused on reducing dependence on the car. The island has a cycle network and bus service. The primary modes of transport for leaving the island are by air or sea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Bermuda</span>

Bermuda consists of several islands with an area of 53.2 km2 (20.5 sq mi) with 447 km (278 mi) of paved roads — 225 km (140 mi) of which are public roads and 222 km (138 mi) are private paved roads. A former railway track has been converted into a walking trail. There are also two marine ports, and an airport, the L.F. Wade International Airport, located at the former U.S. Naval Air Station. A causeway links Hamilton Parish, Bermuda to St. George's and the airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herm</span> Island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey in the Channel Islands

Herm is one of the Channel Islands and part of the Parish of St Peter Port in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located in the English Channel, north-west of France and south of England. It is 2,183 m (7,162 ft) long and under 873 metres (2,864 ft) wide; oriented north–south, with several stretches of sand along its northern coast. The much larger island of Guernsey lies to the west, Jersey lies to the south-east, and the smaller island of Jethou is just off the south-west coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alderney</span> Jurisdiction of the Bailiwick of Guernsey

Alderney is the northernmost of the inhabited Channel Islands. It is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown dependency. It is 3 miles (5 km) long and 1+1⁄2 miles (2.4 km) wide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bailiwick of Guernsey</span> British Crown Dependency consisting of several islands

The Bailiwick of Guernsey is a self-governing British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France, comprising several of the Channel Islands. It has a total land area of 78 square kilometres (30 sq mi) and an estimated total population of 67,334.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guernsey Airport</span> Airport on the island of Guernsey

Guernsey Airport is an international airport on the island of Guernsey and the largest airport in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. It is located in the Forest, a parish in Guernsey, 2.5 nautical miles southwest of St. Peter Port and features mostly flights to Great Britain and some other European destinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurigny</span> Guernsey airline

Aurigny Air Services Limited, commonly known as Aurigny, is the flag carrier airline of the Bailiwick of Guernsey with its head office next to Guernsey Airport in the Channel Islands, and wholly owned by the States of Guernsey since nationalisation in 2003. It operates regular passenger and freight services to the Channel Islands, France, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Its main base is situated next to Guernsey Airport, with other aircraft and crew based at Alderney Airport. Aurigny is one of the longest serving regional airlines in the world, and is the second oldest established airline in Britain after Loganair. The origin of its name lies in the cognate across Norman languages for Alderney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Anne, Alderney</span> Town in Alderney

St Anne or Saint Anne is the capital and the main town of Alderney in the Channel Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Wales</span> Overview of the transportation system in Wales

Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of north and south Wales, while mid Wales and west Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east–west routes, many continuing eastwards into England.

Blue Islands Limited is a regional airline of the Channel Islands. Its head office is in Forest, Guernsey, and its registered office is in Saint Anne, Alderney. It operates scheduled services from and within the Channel Islands to the United Kingdom and Europe. Its main bases of operation are Guernsey Airport and Jersey Airport.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alderney Airport</span> Airport in St Anne

Alderney Airport is the only airport on the island of Alderney, Guernsey. Built in 1935, Alderney Airport was the first airport in the Channel Islands. Located on the Blaye, it is the closest Channel Island airport to the south coast of England and the coast of France. Its facilities include a hangar, the Airport Fire Station, and avgas refuelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of Guernsey</span> Overview of and topical guide to Guernsey

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Guernsey:

This page list topics related to the Bailiwick of Guernsey, including Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and smaller islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LibertyBus</span>

LibertyBus is a bus operator on the island of Jersey. It is a subsidiary of the Kelsian Group.

Kelsian Group Limited, formerly SeaLink Travel Group, is an Australian public company that operates transport services in Australia, the Channel Islands nations of Guernsey and Jersey and Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vehicle registration plates of the Bailiwick of Guernsey</span> Guernsey number plates

Vehicle registration plates, commonly referred to as number plates, are the mandatory numeric or alphanumeric plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle. The Crown dependency of Guernsey is outside the United Kingdom and the European Union, and its islands have registration marks that are different from those used in the UK. The international vehicle registration code for Guernsey is GBG.

References

  1. ↑ "Islands Bus Acquisition Unlocks Growth Potential for Tower Transit". Tower Transit (Kelsian Group). October 2022.
  2. ↑ "HCT Group enters administration". Coach and Bus Week magazine. 4 October 2022.
  3. ↑ "Narrower buses from May". Guernsey Press. 12 April 2017.
  4. ↑ "Bus fare increases to go ahead". BBC UK. 26 September 2023.
  5. ↑ "Number of bus passengers reaches record high in 2016". Guernsey Press. 12 January 2017.
  6. ↑ "Guernsey monthly bus use increases for first time since pandemic". BBC News. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  7. ↑ "Island follows UK in cutting combustion". Guernsey press. 25 November 2020.
  8. ↑ "Summer flights return from the Channel Islands to London City Airport". 13 January 2022.
  9. ↑ http://www.traveltrident.com/ [ bare URL ]
  10. ↑ "How to get here - Herm Island". 19 February 2017.
  11. ↑ https://alderneyferryservices.co.uk/ [ bare URL ]
  12. ↑ See references at the Island tourist website.
  13. ↑ See miniature railway webpage here.
  14. ↑ Notes on the Railway taken from The Railway Magazine, September 1934 edition
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.