This continues the trend experienced during the first quarter of 2016 and a total of 37,229 additional passengers have already used the service so far in 2016 as compared with the same period in 2015. This represents a healthy growth of some 9.7% for the year so far and comes on top of a 2.7% increase recorded in 2015.

Director of Traffic and Highway Services, Karl Guille, said: “These latest bus passenger carryings represent the third consecutive month in which the service has experienced passenger growth in excess of 10% above that achieved in 2015.

"The introduction of new smart card products, a year round timetable (making it easier and more convenient to travel on the bus network) and improved reliability have all played a part in encouraging such growth in bus ridership.

“As we move towards summer and the number of visitors to the Island grows, both through general tourism and the onset of the cruise ship season, passenger numbers on scheduled bus services will increase towards their usual peak in July/August. If current trends are maintained for the rest of the year then we could see passenger numbers heading towards the 2010 peak of 1.6m passengers carried on scheduled bus services.”