#WestSussBus - finding out your views on the buses

We only have 1 (ONE) bus per week. More would be useful.

We live in Shipley Bridge Lane, Copthorne which has a 7.5T weight restriction. Three buses travel down this Lane, a Metro double decker 281, and the Southdown single decker 422 and 424.

We have observed almost 300 buses pass our house from 5/9/22 - 6/10/22, from 9am to dusk. They have carried around 500 people (an average of two or less). 91% of the time there are less than 6 people on the buses. 55% of the time there are no people on the buses. The bus only carries a reasonable number of people when carrying children from/to school/college.

For the two Southdown buses, we have observed 145 buses carrying a total of only 52 people. 72% of the time it runs empty - zero passengers are carried. 100% of the time less than 6 people are carried. We have never seen the Southdown bus in Shipley Bridge Lane carrying more than 6 people.

We question why we are running buses on a weight restricted route when the bus is predominantly empty. Why are we running double decker buses carrying minimal people when a small single decker would suffice.
Why are we spending valuable council tax and tax payers money on buses that are not used and which might be better used on other routes, or to provide a better service on other well used routes.

Running a bus along a weight restricted Lane also encourages other HGVs to use the Lane - on the basis if it’s good enough for the double decker bus then it’s good enough for them.

We support the Council providing bus transport but with the cost of living crisis we feel that buses should be run on routes people use because they are quick, direct, and fulfill a need.

My 3 children get the 31 bus from Northlands Wood to Warden Park return. It would be great if there were buses at 4.30, so they could get back after a club. Also, yesterday the 31 didn't turn up at the end of the school day. In the mornings, my children often don't get a seat and there has been occasions when it didnt stop at the PRH, leaving other children stranded. When you pay £9.50 for each child, it works out at £114 a month..which is very expensive, especially when it's not that reliable!

I used to travel to Horsham from Burgess Hill by bus. I would get the 100 bus to Henfield then change onto the 17 for Horsham. The 100 bus is hourly and the 17 used to run every half hour. However it is now only hourly and involves a long wait in Henfield. I appreciate that during lockdowns etc when people were travelling less it was uneconomical to run 2 buses an hour. I was hoping that now things are different the half hourly service might return. I no longer make the trip because of the long wait in between buses.

It would be great to have buses stop at Warden Park School at 4.30 pm to pick up after school clubs, lots of the kids from Balcombe go to the after-school clubs at least twice a week. It might encourage more kids to take part in the after school clubs too as they can get home easily.

We would like school buses to run for after school clubs from Warden Park secondary. The lack of buses in the dark/ cold / winter prevents my son from attending after school clubs

Having to buy a compass weekly bus pass for my Son to get from166 (Fox Hill) Hayward’s Heath to Warden park school. In the mornings there have been several times the bus hasn’t turned up. The return is one bus at 3.30

However there is no option getting back if he wants to do an after school club. A 166 compass bus at 4.15 pm from the school would be a welcome addition.

Why no buses from Warden Park after clubs at 4? How the children come back home if they are a regular buses users?

It would be great to offer buses for after school clubs, a 4.30pm collection. The majority of children do at least 2/3 after school clubs per week!

My daughter gets the Compass 587 bus from Bolney to Warden Park and back again. It's always late and sometimes doesn't turn up at all! We can't rely on it for exams which puts pressure on parents to get their children to school in time, especially those parents who are working. Her bus used to be run by Crawley Luxury which was just as bad, if not worse! In the past some of the drivers have been known to swear loudly which is unacceptable!

Having recently moved home we were told that we were not eligible for free school transport. We are a 2 minute drive from where the free bus pass would be able to be used. This means we have to pay just over £15 a week for the bus for our son. We were not prepared to change to the next nearest school as our son had already started his GCSE options and the other local schools couldn't guarantee he would be able to do the same ones if we changed to them. There isn't even an option for money off as there is for people who live 2 minutes away.
Whilst the bus is generally on time, sometimes it comes through the village early so our son has to get to the bus stop over 10 minutes early to be sure he doesn't miss it if it does go past early. Fine in the summer but in the wet and windy weather it is far from ideal!

As a parent of children from Balcombe who attend Warden Park school I would like more frequent busses to run at the end of the school day. There are 2 buses in the morning and 2 after school but none any later. Lots of our children attend clubs and it is a constant worry to try and pick children up at the end of the day for working parents. Some simply miss out on clubs for lack of a lift. There needs to be be a bus that goes at 4.10 at least, but I would suggest also one that goes at 4.40 as there are several finish times of clubs at Warden park.

Could we have more busses that stop at Steyning please? Particularly Steyning to Shoreham - there’s only one per hour. It currently takes 1hr 10 mins to get into Brighton on a bus, that is only every hour which is crazy for a busy town.

We would like to see the reintroduction of the four bus stops that were suspended in Tangmere. These were suspended when the COVID testing station was in operation. The testing station has been removed but the bus stops are still suspended.

On 10 Sept 2022 I took the number 1 bus to the Findon sheep fair. I waited for 3 hours for a bus home. There were no notices to say that the bus had been rerouted, no information on the App and I was, along with a number of other bus users, completely stranded. I have a disability, have limited financial resources and was eventually forced to take a taxi - which I couldn't afford - to get home. I wrote a letter of complaint to the bus company that evening but have yet to receive the courtesy of a reply or to have the taxi fare reimbursed to me. The experience spoiled the day and made me anxious about using the bus service in the future. It would have been helpful to say the least has there been some sort of notification about the bus service and I would appreciate your comments.

Now my church service is later I can catch the bus the mile to the church. However the second pulse to worthing on Sundays has been cancelled as often as it has run over the last two months. Disappointing.

Great for old people who use them for free. Hopeless got anyone who has to pay the fantastic prices charged. Bring the price down and see traffic reduced.

They are way too expensive. We live in Sidlesham and my kids have to pay £2.80 each way to Chichester. That means it’s over a fiver for an adult each way. I will take the car every time! Reduce the price and everyone will use it. I cannot fault the regularity of them. For my family to go to town would cost over £25 each way ! Follow Sheffield’s lead and charge a quid a ride. Everyone would use it.

Please can there be more bus shelters. Sunburnt in summer, soaking wet on rainy days! Grandson goes to school wet through!! Disabled grandson heatstroke!! Yapton to Bognor 70.
New routes over bridge ever going to happen????

I love using the bus to get around - I only wish the majority of the drivers were happier !!