Upcoming bus cuts in West Sussex.

[swt class 450]

Following the recent thread about more bus cuts in East Sussex it looks it is now the turn of West Sussex to get more bus cuts.

West Sussex County Council have just announced many cuts and reductions in services across the county. The full list can be viewed here:

http://haveyoursay.westsussex.gov.u...esults/plannedchangestosupportedbusroutes.pdf

Many villages will be left with no bus services at all. Lots of bus routes are being completely withdrawn and the routes that are remaining will be heavily reduced. Some routes that are currently six days a week are being cut to just two days a week.

 

[Man of Kent]

Following the recent thread about more bus cuts in East Sussex it looks it is now the turn of West Sussex to get more bus cuts.

West Sussex County Council have just announced many cuts and reductions in services across the county. The full list can be viewed here:

http://haveyoursay.westsussex.gov.u...esults/plannedchangestosupportedbusroutes.pdf

Many villages will be left with no bus services at all. Lots of bus routes are being completely withdrawn and the routes that are remaining will be heavily reduced. Some routes that are currently six days a week are being cut to just two days a week.

Two once-a-week services are being withdrawn, along with an off-peak-only town service in Burgess Hill (five journeys each way). That's not "lots of bus routes". Yes, there are curtailments on some other routes, though the overall package - which saves around 11.5% of their budget - is remarkably restrained. And very few locations are "left with no bus services at all" - mainly a handful around Midhurst, which already has a community transport service providing links to some of the points on the withdrawn routes.

 

[overthewater]

Withdrawal of extremely poorly used services into Midhurs

Going by this, it seems no one bar one person uses the service. Service above £8 per passengers should not be running. That's what caused all the downfall elsewhere, do we know how much West Sussex has been spending?

 

[Hophead]

According to a report in the West Sussex County Times:

West Sussex County Council has announced it is cutting £300,000 from its bus route subsidy after facing ‘unprecedented financial challenges’. It explained it was making the cuts due to a decrease in funding from central government and a bigger demand for services but would still be subsidising £2.27m worth of routes.

This page also summarises the changes in non-PDF form.

 

[swt class 450]

Well they are not as bad as they could have been but they are still quite severe. It will be an inconvenience to a lot of people.

The 62 (Haywards Heath to Crawley) and 89 (Haywards Heath to Horsham) are certainly seeing massive reductions going from six days a week to just two days a week (62) and three days a week (89) so this will certainly inconvenience some people.

The routes in the Midhurst area are certainly the most severe as they are being completely withdrawn. However it looks like only the Compass Bus journeys on the 93 are being withdrawn while the Stagecoach journeys on the 93 will stay. So it is really only the 96 that will be withdrawn with no alternative. Northchapel will still get it's weekly Waverley Hoppa route 505 service to Haslemere in Surrey but the other villages will have nothing. It looks like, Dial Green, Fisherstreet, Graffham, Heyshott, Hoyle, Lickfold, Lodsworth, Lurgashall, will all be left with no bus services at all.

Those routes in the Midhurst area are almost 100% OAPs so i doubt that the extortionate fares charged are much to do with it. They probably only get a couple of fare paying passengers a year. Last time i spoke to the driver on these routes he couldn't remember the last time someone bought a ticket.

The 150 is also getting completely withdrawn. This will leave Almodington, Earnley, Highleigh, West Itchenor, with no bus services at all.

I must say that i am very surprised that the 52/64/69/71 have all survived with no reductions in frequency either. I would have though that these would be the first ones to get withdrawn.

 

[Cesarcollie]

The Midhurst routes look like the final remnants of the old Southern Motorways network.....

 

[Man of Kent]

Well they are not as bad as they could have been but they are still quite severe. It will be an inconvenience to a lot of people.

The 62 (Haywards Heath to Crawley) and 89 (Haywards Heath to Horsham) are certainly seeing massive reductions going from six days a week to just two days a week (62) and three days a week (89) so this will certainly inconvenience some people.

The routes in the Midhurst area are certainly the most severe as they are being completely withdrawn. However it looks like only the Compass Bus journeys on the 93 are being withdrawn while the Stagecoach journeys on the 93 will stay. So it is really only the 96 that will be withdrawn with no alternative. Northchapel will still get it's weekly Waverley Hoppa route 505 service to Haslemere in Surrey but the other villages will have nothing. It looks like, Dial Green, Fisherstreet, Graffham, Heyshott, Hoyle, Lickfold, Lodsworth, Lurgashall, will all be left with no bus services at all.

Those routes in the Midhurst area are almost 100% OAPs so i doubt that the extortionate fares charged are much to do with it. They probably only get a couple of fare paying passengers a year. Last time i spoke to the driver on these routes he couldn't remember the last time someone bought a ticket.

The 150 is also getting completely withdrawn. This will leave Almodington, Earnley, Highleigh, West Itchenor, with no bus services at all.

I must say that i am very surprised that the 52/64/69/71 have all survived with no reductions in frequency either. I would have though that these would be the first ones to get withdrawn.

As previously noted, Midhurst Community Transport serves some of these locations, notably Heyshott (served by Y1) and Lickfold, Lodsworth and Lurgashall (all served by Y2). The council's comment on the 150 is "Withdrawal of extremely poorly used service" so it doesn't sound like many people are going to miss it. And the alternatives listed include "51, 52, Selsey Community Bus, Manhood Mobility Services (Car scheme operates across west Manhood area)" so again, not total isolation.

As you mention, the passengers are almost exclusively pensioners, and probably penny numbers at that. On the whole this is good housekeeping by the council that will reduce the financial pressure on routes that actually do carry a reasonable number of passengers.