Jersey's franchised bus system held up as blueprint for reform in Bus Services Bill

Wednesday 30 April 2025

LibertyBus welcomes UK Local Transport Minister to Jersey

Tower Transit UK, operating locally as Liberty Bus, were delighted to host Simon Lightwood, the United Kingdom’s Local Transport Minister, on his visit to Jersey. The purpose of the visit was to explore the Jersey Bus Franchise Model and celebrate the success achieved over the past decade.

Minister Lightwood’s visit underscores the hard work and commitment of our LibertyBus team and the strong, collaborative partnership we have built with the Government of Jersey. Together, we have delivered real results - increasing passenger journeys from 3.2 million to 5.3 million over the last contract term.

In a powerful endorsement, Minister Lightwood said:

"LibertyBus shows what's possible when local leaders are empowered to take control - boosting ridership and delivering more frequent, reliable services. That's exactly what we aim to achieve across England through our upcoming Bus Services Bill - I very much see Jersey as the gold standard of franchising when it comes to more rural areas and smaller towns."

We are proud to share the Minister’s view. Jersey’s bus service stands as a gold standard for rural areas and smaller towns, demonstrating the transformative power of locally-led franchising models. As regions across England prepare to explore franchising under the upcoming Bus Services Bill, we hope Jersey’s experience will serve as an inspiration and a blueprint for success.

At Kelsian Group, we remain committed to working closely with our partners to deliver innovative, reliable, and customer-focused transport solutions - connecting people and communities.

Media contact: Katie Wilke Square One PR [email protected] +61 411 771 469