Project to speed up bus journeys complete
BBCWork to speed up bus journey times and reduce congestion has finished.
The £1.6m project, launched by the previous government, means west-bound buses can drive along the Esplanade in St Helier and no longer have to use Castle Street roundabout.
Jersey Minister for Infrastructure Deputy Jonathan Renouf said "it may only be a couple of minutes of time saved for a single bus" but it proved the government was serious about improving public transport in the island.
The work also includes updates to the drains beneath the road, a new bus shelter and improved features for pedestrians and cyclists.
Renouf defended the cost of the project.
He said: "The thing is, if you want to improve bus infrastructure in the island, it is going to cost money.
"As minister, I will always be interrogating the costs of a project very, very closely to make sure they represent value for money, but I don't think it's a waste of money."
He said the aesthetic changes would create a "better arrival into town" and would integrate with future developments to the international finance centre buildings near the waterfront.
Operations manager for Liberty Bus Kevin Sharp has welcomed the project's completion.
He said: "We want to encourage more and more car users to leave their car at home and get on the bus, and if we can guarantee them to get to their destination on time then obviously that's going to help grow patronage and hopefully reduce traffic on on the roads which will improve the environment for everybody."
Sharp added drivers were "very happy" with the change.
"Anything that helps increase the reliability of their journey is great for them, it means they're not getting stuck in traffic," he said.
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