Stagecoach confirms details of bus cutbacks

Details released by Stagecoach of changes in its East Sussex bus network show a re-ordering of several routes and a reduction in frequency on several local services. County council funding has ensured the continuance of parts of the service for six months which otherwise would have ceased . Nick Terdre reports.

Stagecoach has confirmed the changes in its bus services in East Sussex which will come into effect on Sunday 30 October. These have been developed, it says, in consultation with East Sussex County Council, the transport authority for the region, and reflect “changes in people’s travel habits coming out of the pandemic, as well as the impact of rising costs, lower passenger numbers and a national shortage of driving and engineering staff.”

Full details on the changes in Hastings can be seen on the Stagecoach website. Among the notable features is that route 26/26a, running a loop between the town centre and Conquest hospital via Silverhill and Park View, will disappear.

It will be replaced by two services: number 21 will be extended from the town centre to cover the Silverhill section, while a new route, 29, will cover the Park View leg. From the Conquest the 29 will continue via Westfield to Tenterden, replacing the number 2.

The frequency of routes 21 and 29 on the town Conquest run will be reduced to 30 minutes from the current 20.

There are also changes in West St Leonards, where number 23/23b has been rerouted to replace the 22 extension to Harley Shute via West St Leonards and Filsham Valley; it will no longer call at Hollington Tesco, though number 22A/22C will.

West St Leonards remains poorly served, however. There is still no bus connection between Bexhill Road and Harley Shute, so those living north of Bexhill Road cannot take the bus down to the beach, the St Leonards medical centre or Aldi.Nor is there a safe and pleasant walking and cycling route between these points.

No mention is made either of boosting services to cater for the future residents of the 200-plus housing development on the old Grove School site in Harley Shute, which, far from helping to implement the government’s intended policy of encouraging greater use of public transport, is likely to encourage them to stick to their cars.

Meanwhile route 24 (Hastings-Church Road-Silverhill) has been scrapped due to low usage.

With the exception of route 28, where frequency is to be improved from 70 minutes to hourly, the frequency on many other routes is to be reduced.

ESCC steps in

While acknowledging difficulties for commercial bus operators – passenger numbers are running at no more than 80% of pre-Covid levels – East Sussex has stepped in, as it says, to save vital services which Stagecoach planned to axe.

It will entirely fund a new route 31 up Parker Road to Malvern Way and then running to Ore village via Clifton Road and Frederick Road – this will replace withdrawn sections of route 21/21A along Parker Road and of route 22A along Clifton and Frederick roads.

ESCC will also fund the 7 route between the town centre and Ashford Way, and pay for a Sunday service on routes 28 (town centre-West Hill-Ore-Conquest) and 101 (Conquest-town centre-Rye), both of which would otherwise only operate Monday-Saturday. It will also part fund the 23/23B, 27 and 29 routes,

However the ESCC support at present only runs until March next year, so unless it is extended, the Stagecoach cuts it has averted may still occur.

Stagecoach has also re-ordered bus services in other areas of East Sussex where it operates, and ESCC has similarly intervened elsewhere to save certain services.

Meanwhile news is awaited from the county council of exactly how it proposes to spend its £41m grant for improving bus services.

 

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