#WestSussBus - finding out your views on the buses

I would like to uss the bus to connect with trains, but it seems to me that the 63 service is quite unreliable, so it is not an option for me, so I will continue to drive as I must get the train I have set out for.

My daughter would like to use the bus for college at Horsham but the 89 gets to Horsham after 10am and leaves before 4pm. Too late in the morning and too early in the afternoon. I had the same issue when working in Horsham. The bus times should enable people to get too and from work. We have to use a car

I use the 700 bus route regularly between Goring, Worthing and Rustington and am very pleased with the Service.

I am a student who has been using the 93 for seven years now and although there are a some weak points, it is overall a good service.
On the positives, the buses are clean, well maintained and have been consistently updated with now voiced announcements, internet and USB ports.
However, the service also suffers from consistent lateness, often with no apology or notice on the Metrobus website/Twitter. Though normally not in the morning, this lateness is relegated to around 5-40 minutes in for the afternoon. A few times the bus has not even showed up, still without notice.
Secondly, the pricing of the Metrobus system, though ostensibly helps students, it actually creates more expense. Not only is this because you cannot receive a student discount when only buying individual tickets but also that the only available ‘pass’ is a up to a 13 week that is irrespective to the term times of students (although they make up a large majority of Metrobus’ customers).
Finally, although pledges by the UK and by the West Sussex county council to adhere to eco-friendly climate change policies, I have seen no improvement nor notice on how Metrobus is improving their services. Like buses in London, Metrobus could aim to introduce hybrid buses, or electric or hydrogen.
Despite all of this, this service is decent.

The 17 Bus service is excellent although it would be great if it could return to a half hourly service.It seems daft while it is an hourly service that sometimes the 89 bus comes a few minute before the 17 picking up passengers waiting for the 17 ?

The 600 bus route should run later every day. It's ridiculous you can't get home from Bognor to Aldwick after 8.pm, particularly on a Friday. The Sunday service is no better. Last bus from Bognor is 6pm.

I live in Aldwick I find the service stops to early in the evening. Example, last bus from Bognor to Aldwick on a Sunday is 6.05 pm, also during the week last bus from above is around 8.40pm.

If as we are informed there is a shortage of drivers, rather than randomly cancel buses rearrange timetables Also why is there still no Wi-Fi especially on the 700 it is just as busy pre covid!!!!

Many Henfield residents rely on the bus services to get to stations and to the local centres in Brighton and Horsham and Burgess Hill.
The number 17 bus is well used but the frequency has been halved. It was every half hour before Covid 19, but has not yet been restored to this frequency - and now runs every hour. Several residents have recently told me that they want to use the bus but find the hourly service off putting. Stagecoach told me that there was a shortage of drivers and this caused their reluctance to reinstate the half hourly service. I believe that a greater frequency of buses would encourage more use and then this would in turn encourage less car journeys and more sustainable transport choices.
The 100 bus to Burgess Hill etc is a subsidised service. It needs better signposting and publicity as it is a useful service especially to reach Burgess Hill Station for onward travel to London.

Is there any way to get buses running later on weekends? It's not surprising everyone in our village takes their car into town when the only other option is to go out quite early on the last bus and then queue for ages for a minicab back.

To Be Honest, I'm rather disappointed, with the bus drivers' attitudes. I regularly use the 56 or the 700, and each time, the drivers are miserable, and they don't wait for the passengers to sit down, before moving off. Most of the time, it's the elderly. Someone is going to have a serious accident, one if these days, and YES, it will be the drivers fault!

Living in Selsey on the Manhood Peninsular means we are constrained, and often delayed, by the fragile road network. The increase in housing density inevitably leads to more individual car usage. We have just one public transport service ( Stage coach 51) to travel North. it is a good service that must be retained to a) encourage the reduction of private transport. The frequency after 1900 can be improved to encourage commuters that currently have an hour wait between services.

Hello

I get the Pulse bus to work (Lancing) from Worthing.
I'm afraid the service is awful and has been for while.
Buses are frequently cancelled, late or just don't arrive.
I have the app to monitor this to try and ensure that I am not late or rushing but it is rarely accurate!
It is so frustrating and stressful, not only that...I teach and I cannot be late.

I am leaving earlier and earlier everyday.

There are no daily bus services in our village (Slindon) - it is not possible to travel for daily employment / college /meetings etc other than by using our own village bus (shared with Amberley) which has 4 different daily routes. The only way to travel regularly by bus is to walk to the local village of Walberton (45minute walk crossing the a27) which is not possible for the elderly or infirm but would help me get to work, but for the time taken. This is why I do not use a bus - but would be more than happy (helping the planet & saving fuel) to use a bus if it were regular. Thanks, Tracey

Buses from sayers common to hurstpierpoint highstreet ate too expensive

I have glaucoma and some 15 years ago my eyesight declined to the point where I could no longer drive. Before I was forced to consider the matter I had no idea what bus services there were in the area nor where they went. They just got in my way.
When my eyesight declined I moved to Pulborough for various reasons but the Compass 100 and Stagecoach 1 routes - together with the rail station - were a major factor. I'm retired and have a bus pass, am physically fit and walk to most places around the village so the once-an-hour service is satisfactory for most times I need to use the buses. Besides going to Worthing, the no. 1 service connects at Midhurst with the no. 60 and I use that connection for most trips to Chichester.
I have friends in the Bognor Regis area and have experienced their very frequent Stagecoach 700 service which has shown me what a serious bus service can be. While I'm envious of the frequency I can see the economic problems of trying to introduce such a frequent service in the rural areas.
What I have learned is that to get the car driver to consider buses there has to be a complete change in the mindset. In the rural areas instead of jumping in the car and just going, you have to plan the trip to the extent of knowing the timetable for departure and arrival, where the stops are and where the walking route to the final destination is. You have to accept that the bus will take longer for the journey, you may have to kill time while waiting and it won't be as comfortable as a car. I can't comment on cost comparisons as I have the bus pass but a significant advantage of the bus is not having to park at the destination. However the advantage is outweighed by the need to change habits and until fuel prices go up significantly further I doubt that there will be significant changes to travel patterns in the rural areas.

I live in Cowfold. Before covid we had a half hourly service to Horsham and Brighton. Since lockdown this is now hourly. this makes it very difficult to attend any appointments in |Horsham or Brighton. As inordinate amounts of time is spent waiting for the bus. we need the bus to run later in the evening so at least we could go to the cinema or have a meal.Also we need a bus into Haywards Heath to be able to access the Princess Royal hospital which is where our surgery refers most people for specialists.

I live in Crawley and sometime use the bus to travel from Bewbush to Gatwick, whilst the frequency is good it takes forever to get to the airport, with the bus stopping every few hundred metres. Would it be possible to introduce some 'express services' that only stop at limited stops, perhaps on the 200 route?.

I got my bus pass 2 yrs ago but haven't used it yet because there is no bus service through my village and the nearest stop at East Ashling is about a mile or so away. Too time consuming. No good for those who can't walk that far. Buses are and few between too.How about a very affordable Minibus service to complement?
Do WSC councillors understand what 'affordable' means - bit like Rishi Sunak, many seem to earn vast sums at our expense. Not right. Buses are very expensive, even now, might as well drive!

The last bus from Chi is far too early for theatre/cinema goers/diners out/evening pub visitors, etc.

Due to WSCC acceptance of swathes of newbuild wrecking the area, traffic problems are increasing. Not just in town either. here in this rural area, we're furious at the speeding vehicles in this narrow, single carriageway lane. We pay as much council tax yet no signs or traffic calming are forthcoming here. Outrageous.

Bognor - Star Service. This is difficult for the disabled using 4-wheel rollators. Sometimes, if one such passenger is already on the bus, another can be not allowed on and has to wait out in the cold/rain until the next service. I am such a passenger and find getting into town via Stagecoach is sometimes impossible and I miss my medical appointments.