:00:13. > :00:18.Good evening. These are our top stories: End of the line for Connex
:00:18. > :00:23.as an English company could takeover Jersey's bus service. A
:00:23. > :00:28.warning letter for litter louts, but will it be backed up by the
:00:28. > :00:38.legal action? And singing the praises of local artists, the
:00:38. > :00:39.
:00:39. > :00:42.project putting our painters, sinners and writers' centre stage.
:00:42. > :00:48.-- singers. Connex may not be running Jersey's bus services next
:00:48. > :00:51.year. A new UK company has been named by the states as their
:00:51. > :00:55.preferred choice. HCT is a not-for- profit organisation, and if the
:00:55. > :00:58.deal goes ahead, its buses could be on the road at the start of next
:00:58. > :01:07.year. We'll hear more from the company in just a moment, but first
:01:07. > :01:13.Rachel Royce has this report. But Connex has been running the
:01:13. > :01:18.island's bus service for eight years but now that might change. I
:01:18. > :01:24.knew company is the state's preferred bidder. Be offered the
:01:24. > :01:30.best deal on price and range of services. They tend to use brand
:01:30. > :01:33.new buses, a different size of buses, they are very into the
:01:33. > :01:43.community and they will service the rock -- the rural areas of their
:01:43. > :01:46.
:01:46. > :01:52.community. The public seem to have different views. If it is not broke,
:01:52. > :01:57.don't fix it. They if they bring in new bus routes it will be a good
:01:58. > :02:02.thing. FC Twente said it was disappointed not to be given the
:02:02. > :02:12.opportunity to build on its successes of the last 10 years. It
:02:12. > :02:13.
:02:13. > :02:20.said they had an increase in passenger numbers of one million in
:02:20. > :02:24.the last 10 years. There is a stipulation in the new contract
:02:24. > :02:27.that there should be more bus drivers, not less. Well Dai Powell
:02:27. > :02:31.is in charge of the HCT group - the states of Jersey's preferred bidder.
:02:31. > :02:38.He joined me from our Westminster studios earlier - I began by asking
:02:38. > :02:43.if they were given the contract, would there be job losses. There
:02:43. > :02:49.will not be any job losses. We intend to take on the current staff
:02:49. > :02:54.who are running the service and we intend to increase the service and
:02:54. > :03:01.therefore increase the staff. are calling yourselves a community
:03:01. > :03:09.bus service, what does that mean? The company is a social enterprise.
:03:09. > :03:14.We are an organisation that trade for social good. We are part of the
:03:14. > :03:20.communities where we work. We do not have shareholders, we have a
:03:20. > :03:26.charity as the top company. We do commit to keeping on the school
:03:26. > :03:34.services and local services that run at the moment? We would speak
:03:34. > :03:38.to the public and official members of the State to see what is
:03:38. > :03:46.required but we would be looking to enhance the current services, not
:03:46. > :03:50.make cuts. Hopefully be community would notice it is an organisation
:03:50. > :03:55.that works very closely with the community. I understand the service
:03:55. > :04:01.on the island is currently a good service and we hope to improve it
:04:01. > :04:06.and maintain that. We would provide an enhanced service. You are also
:04:06. > :04:10.in negotiations to run the bus service on Guernsey, I must as
:04:10. > :04:15.quite the Channel Islands, compared to your other operations in London
:04:15. > :04:21.or Yorkshire, we are quite small fry, aren't we? Why do you want to
:04:21. > :04:24.run our networks as well? Jersey in particular it is a
:04:24. > :04:30.community within itself and therefore our business model works
:04:30. > :04:34.very well in a defined community. It is a good sized contract and it
:04:34. > :04:41.is a really nice community where we think our business model will work
:04:41. > :04:47.really well. We will keep an eye on the bidding process. Thank you for
:04:47. > :04:51.joining us. Well, what do you think? Do you think Connex should
:04:51. > :05:01.keep the contract or are you convinced by what you have heard
:05:01. > :05:08.
:05:08. > :05:17.�5 million is being spent on a new flooding project for St Helier.
:05:17. > :05:23.There will be a 20 metre deep over float shaft. It will mean the
:05:23. > :05:27.temporary loss of 85 car-parking spaces. A delegation of French
:05:27. > :05:34.politicians have been in the Channel Islands today to discuss
:05:34. > :05:36.emergency planning, environmental issues and energy provision. Do you
:05:36. > :05:39.get annoyed by litter louts in your neighbourhood? Well, Guernsey
:05:39. > :05:42.Police say they're getting tough on the problem, with dozens of warning
:05:42. > :05:52.letters going out this week. But will they result in prosecution?
:05:52. > :05:54.
:05:54. > :05:58.Penny Elderfield reports. Litter. In a busy town it comes with the
:05:58. > :06:04.territory but what can be done to stop it and make sure people are
:06:04. > :06:12.using the bins provided? Guernsey police say enough is enough and
:06:12. > :06:18.last week issued four more warning letters to people who are
:06:18. > :06:21.discarding their rubbish around the town. In the majority of cases they
:06:21. > :06:28.were seeing to us, this is an offence and we are being so silly,
:06:28. > :06:34.it is just something we do out of habit. Best man heads up a
:06:34. > :06:39.Neighbourhood Watch group and this seafront car park is on his patch.
:06:39. > :06:44.He feels the police are not as willing to prosecute people for
:06:44. > :06:49.littering any more. I have not bothered to report it any more
:06:49. > :06:53.because they do not do anything. Most of the lettering that goes on
:06:53. > :07:00.now happens at night with late- night takeaways. It produces other
:07:00. > :07:04.problems because a lot of these people make a lot of noise.
:07:04. > :07:08.police will be keeping up their campaign against litter but the
:07:08. > :07:13.cost of actually prosecuting someone will no doubt have to be
:07:13. > :07:15.considered before the action goes further than just a warning.
:07:16. > :07:19.Budding artists in Jersey are being given the opportunity to promote
:07:19. > :07:24.themselves online. The Arts Trust has set up a free data base for
:07:24. > :07:34.talented islanders. Beckie Williams has been to see if there are any
:07:34. > :07:38.
:07:38. > :07:47.Henry Cavill's or Nerina Pallot's This woman has grown up with music.
:07:47. > :07:52.She moved to the island eight years ago and last year performed at
:07:52. > :07:58.Jersey Life. But she says living here means it is hard to raise her
:07:58. > :08:05.profile internationally. It would be great to be working with more
:08:05. > :08:12.musicians, more exposure, playing in festivals elsewhere in the world
:08:12. > :08:17.would be amazing. She is just one local artist who has signed up to
:08:17. > :08:23.this website by de Jersey Arts Trust. The aim is to showcase local
:08:23. > :08:27.talent. It is completely free and gives people an opportunity to
:08:27. > :08:32.network. I would like to see it used as a one-stop-shop for people
:08:32. > :08:38.to know who is here in the island, how they can get in touch with them
:08:38. > :08:45.and get involved. Also it would be something we can use to represent
:08:45. > :08:52.Jersey when we are talking to people overseas. It is not just
:08:52. > :09:00.aimed at singers, this man is an artist to designs cartoons. There
:09:00. > :09:07.are some graphic design companies I might get work for example to
:09:07. > :09:13.illustrate a children's book. Jersey has a whole host of talented
:09:13. > :09:21.islanders. It is sold in the future that people like them will be
:09:21. > :09:26.promoted by being spotted on line. Now let's get the weather. Good
:09:26. > :09:34.evening. Not a great deal of change in an hour weather pattern at the
:09:34. > :09:41.moment across the islands. The winds will remain quite keen
:09:41. > :09:48.tonight but these will back away and he's by Thursday. The high
:09:48. > :09:55.pressure is dominating our weather pattern at the moment. We could see
:09:55. > :09:58.a few showers tonight and tomorrow morning. Little change tomorrow but
:09:58. > :10:03.by Thursday the winds will be back and this weather front will make
:10:04. > :10:10.progress towards us through Friday possibly giving as some rain late
:10:10. > :10:14.on Friday and quite a damp day on Saturday. We have some breeds in
:10:14. > :10:20.the cloud initially tonight and the cloud will return. By morning there
:10:20. > :10:25.will be a little rain. Winds from the north or north-west. Tomorrow
:10:25. > :10:35.morning will see a lot of clout and a few showers. Perhaps some breaks
:10:35. > :10:58.
:10:58. > :11:04.developing in the cloud. Fresh to On Thursday there is little changed,
:11:04. > :11:10.perhaps a few breaks in the cloud and lighter winds. Friday is more
:11:10. > :11:15.cloudy. By evening some patchy rain. That rain will be around for much
:11:15. > :11:23.of the day on Saturday and also a moderate to fresh westerly wind.
:11:23. > :11:26.All the while, a relatively mild. Let's go back to our top story
:11:26. > :11:31.finally - the news that Connex is not the preferred candidate to
:11:31. > :11:33.operate Jersey's Bus Service from 2013. A company called HCT - who
:11:33. > :11:43.are also Guernsey's preferred operator - could take over. Lots of
:11:43. > :12:11.