More data needed on Manx bus routes' profitability, says minister
It is expected to cost £12.4m to operate Bus Vannin this year, with passenger revenue projected to be £5.4 million.The £7m deficit will be covered by taxpayers.Glover asked how former minister Tim Crookall was able to deem as "not financially viable" the number 28 route to a folk village and beauty spot at the southernmost tip of the island.Prior to her appointment as infrastructure minister, Haywood - who is MHK for the area concerned - criticised the decision to pull the service last year.
'Detailed costing process'
Hayward said she believed her previous comments may have been made in relation to "money collected on board the bus" and "didn't account for any income that should have been apportioned from various concession cards".She went on to say that a "true picture needs more data" since routes' total income is affected "by many things such as the number of commuters using prepaid cards or passengers who have subsidised travel.The minister confirmed the government's upcoming bus strategy included a move to implement a "detailed route costing process" to understand where subsidies were "most heavily applied and help guide future decisions about where public support should be focused".But Hayward stressed that the bus service was "not about profitability on routes, or trying to make a profit".Rather, she said it was "about trying to keep our communities connected and provide services they need so they can access schools, shops and community activities in a way that is convenient and cost effective for them".
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