Local History

Some of the first buses seen in Guernsey

Transport historian John Carmen said that 100 years ago Guernsey was "fairly well placed" with the development of public transport.

Before the motorised buses Guernsey's public transport system consisted of a steam and then electric tramway which ran from Town to The Bridge.

Beyond this route public transport was continued by a series of horse buses which would carry people from The Bridge to L'Islet, L'Ancresse and Bordeaux in the north and from St Peter Port out to the southern parishes, though some of these services only operated once or twice a week.

John said following the First World War the returning men had more knowledge of the motorised services they had seen in England and so several entrepreneurs set up motorised public transport services.

Some the Island Coachways fleet in 2009

The first motor buses in Guernsey came from a company in London that had invested in the still new service but had gone bankrupt due to the costs, this meant the Guernsey companies got the vehicles cheap and set up local routes.

The increase in bus travel in the islands continued until the start of the Occupation and, in 1934, caused the closure of tram routes in St Peter Port and St Sampsons.

Following the Second World War the return of the bus services were very popular, despite the vehicles run down state, as there were very few cars in the island.

By the mid 1950s bus use began to decline as islanders became more prosperous and cars more prevalent and this trend continued until in the 2000s when, John said, there was a resurge in the popularity of the service.

John added that "more use of public transport is an absolute essential" for the future as the number of cars on Guernsey's roads continues to increase.