#WestSussBus - finding out your views on the buses

A fleet of 20 new hydrogen buses are now operating on the Crawley Fastway route, courtesy of Metrobus and a range of partners.

Fuelled by the largest hydrogen refuelling centre in Europe, at the Metrobus depot in Crawley. Hydrogen fuel cells power advanced electric engines. Rather than pumping out polluting fumes through their tailpipes, they just produce droplets of H2O i.e. water.

Beating the rain clouds at the Hydrogen Bus Launch, Crawley, 29 June 2023.

"Hydrogen is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to operate a bus", according to the Metrobus brochure accompanying the launch. It's quick to refuel them - unlike conventional electric powered vehicles and they have a greater range - crucial if you're running a bus service.

How it works is that the hydrogen fuel cell generates a chemical reaction that splits the hydrogen separating the proton and electron. The electron stores energy in the battery and when it returns to the cathode it meets filtered air and the proton produces water vapour as a bi-product. The battery pack powers the electric motor, enabling the bus to travel. Well, I admit, I'm not a scientist - that info was also from the Metrobus brochure. So, it is still a bus with an electric motor, it just uses hydrogen to power the motor rather than juice from the mains.

An example of how environmentally friendly these buses are: a journey from Crawley Bus Station to Gatwick South Terminal (that's a distance of just under 6 miles) would save 1,066g of CO2 compared to driving.

#WestSussBus attended the launch listening to speeches by, among others, the UK Govt Bus Minister Richard Holden MP and Ed Wills, Managing Director of Metrobus. It was all very exciting - and to top it off, we were given a ride round the Fastway route on board a brand new Hydrogen bus.

Quiet and quick is how I'd describe the journey around Crawley town centre out towards Horley, and it felt good that the journey wasn't adding to the planet's woes, but helping to provide a bit of daily climate action in West Sussex.

A further 34 hydrogen buses are planned for Metrobus services.

Changes will occur to most services in East Sussex and some services in West Sussex and Surrey.

New timetables can be downloaded next to each service below (when available) or you can request our new timetable book by contacting Compass.

For full details follow the link Bus Service Changes | Compass Travel (compass-travel.co.uk) (opens in new tab)

Goodwood Events Bus Services | Stagecoach | South (stagecoachbus.com) (opens in new tab)

The main changes to Stagecoach tickets from 18th June are:

• Single and Return ticket prices are unchanged, with Single fares capped at £2 under the Government’s national travel campaign.*

• DayRider tickets stay at similar or reduced prices. Day tickets will be available for the first time in Bognor Regis, Chichester, Hayling Island and Waterlooville.

• NightRider tickets, offering unlimited bus travel after 7pm, rise by 20p to £3.

• Flexi5 tickets offer best value to customers making occasional trips, saving 20% on the cost of each DayRider

• MegaRider week and period tickets will see a price increase. MegaRider Xtra (direct debit) tickets remain best value for customers travelling every day.

• Group DayRider tickets are available for each travel zone, with any four people travelling together for the price of two.

• New Flexi5 and 4-week MegaRider tickets will be available for children those under 16

• StudentRider tickets are available for both school children and Student ID holders, for each Term or a full academic year.

Stagecoach South provide a network of bus services across Hampshire, Surrey and West Sussex, as well as into the cities of Portsmouth and Brighton & Hove.

For more information click the link below to Stagecoach

Fares Revision | Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com)

A big thank you to everyone who visited #WestSussBus and sent us a suggested location for a Real Time Passenger Information (RTPI) sign.

From December 2022 to February 2023 we received almost 300 locations and many mirrored the places that we thought needed an RTPI.

There are currently 550 locations under consideration and 250 will be installed in the first phase with funding received from the UK Government as part of the Bus Service Improvement Plan for West Sussex.

The criteria we use to assess the need for an RTPI sign are:

• Number of buses serving the stop
• Number of passengers boarding at the stop
• Regularity of service
• Whether or not the stop is close to local facilities, for example a railway station, place of education or shops

We also keep in regular conversation with the bus companies about RTPI needs and locations.

By the end of June 2023, we’ll publish a list of new RTPI locations for the first phase on #WestSussBus. If you don’t see your proposed location listed, don’t worry it may be part of phase two.

To celebrate the launch of the new service, Stagecoach will be offering free travel on the 500 between Sunday 23rd July and Saturday 29th July.

To view the full timetable, click below:

500 timetable from 2nd July 2023 (Chichester - Littlehampton)

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/news/south/2023/july/chichester-500#

A new scheme is giving people the opportunity this winter to pay less to travel by bus in West Sussex – and the whole of England.

From now until 30 October 2023, a single bus journey will cost no more than £2 on most routes under the Department for Transport's Help for Households funded Bus Fare Cap.

Buses Minister Richard Holden said: “Bus travel remains the most popular form of public transport in England, making up around half of all journeys. That’s why we’re investing £60million to cap single bus fares at £2 to support every passenger and help get people back on the bus. 

“With the scheme set to take two million car journeys off the road, it’s fantastic to see so many bus operators signing up to the fare cap, helping people to ‘Get Around for £2’ between the 1st January and 31st March [not: this has been extended to 31 October 2023].” 

There has been a gradual return to the buses in West Sussex since Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. Bus companies have been working hard to encourage people to get back on board and have made many improvements: passengers will find better ventilated vehicles since before the pandemic, with more advanced cleaning regimes used by the bus operators. Many of their vehicles have free Wi-Fi and all have contactless payment now.

Joy Dennis, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “The £2 fare cap is a great opportunity for people to get on board buses for less: they can save money on petrol costs while keeping in touch with friends and family, travelling to appointments or work, or exploring our beautiful towns and countryside.

“Buses provide a more sustainable way to travel and are a vital link for residents to access key services including healthcare, education, shops and leisure facilities, and can help combat social isolation, too.”

For more information, here are weblinks to the main participating bus operators in West Sussex:

Brighton & Hove - https://www.buses.co.uk/2-fare

Compass Travel - https://www.compass-travel.co.uk/2pound-fares/

Metrobus - https://www.metrobus.co.uk/2-fare

Southdown Buses - https://www.southdown.net/2-pound-cap

Stagecoach - https://www.stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/national/2-pound-fare

The full list of participating bus companies is available on the Gov.UK website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2-bus-fare-cap

NB: there are no changes to the national bus pass scheme for older and disabled people. Free bus pass holders will continue to receive free travel under the terms of that scheme

Enhanced Partnership Statutory Stakeholder Consultation (West Sussex)

Central to the National Bus Strategy is the creation of Enhanced Partnerships, where local authorities, bus operators and other key stakeholders work together to develop and implement bus service improvements for local communities. The West Sussex Enhanced Partnership will set out how we will deliver the outcomes of our Bus Service Improvement Plan, published in October 2021 following engagement with the public, operators, and other key stakeholders.

Further to this engagement, we would now like to hear from organisations and individual stakeholders who have an interest in making bus services work better.

You can have your say on the proposed Partnership by accessing the consultation page here (opens in new window)

Please share your views by midnight on Tuesday 3 January 2023.

Enhanced Partnership Statutory Stakeholder Consultation (West Sussex)

In March 2021, the government published a new National Bus Strategy (Bus Back Better) which sets out its vision to dramatically improve bus services in England, reverse the shift in journeys away from public transport as a result of Covid-19 and encourage passengers back to buses.

Central to the strategy is the creation of Enhanced Partnerships, where local authorities, bus operators and other key stakeholders work together to develop and implement bus service improvements for local communities. The West Sussex Enhanced Partnership will set out how we will deliver the outcomes of our Bus Service Improvement Plan, published in October 2021 following engagement with the public, operators, and other key stakeholders.

Further to this engagement, we would now like to hear from organisations and individual stakeholders who have an interest in making bus services work better.

If you have an interest in local bus services, then we'd love to hear your views on the proposed Enhanced Bus Partnership for West Sussex.

Please share your views by midnight on Tuesday 3 January 2023.