Tuesday, 15 May 2012 13:07

People in Lewes District, Wealden District and Eastbourne Borough may wish to check the bus timetables as new operators come in to keep services going in the area.

From Sunday 20 May Compass Travel will be running a number of buses in the area including:

• 119, 123, 126, 128, 143, 145
• school journeys on 92A, 92B, 92C and 121.

The County Council sought out replacements for services in Lewes, Newhaven and Seaford after Renown Coaches gave notice to stop running some bus contracts for the Council. The bus company said the main reason for doing so was due to significant increases in fuel costs since they took on these contracts in 2009.

We wrote to consultees immediately before Christmas 2011 and asked for comments on the proposed replacement services. We are grateful to those who responded. Following this consultation and a competitive tendering process, the contract for taking over the majority of these Rider services was awarded to Compass Travel, funded by the County Council. The company will be taking delivery of six brand-new fully-accessible low-floor buses.

Cuckmere Community Bus has already taken over the 120 Seaford – Bishopstone service to an improved timetable.

Councillor Carl Maynard, Lead Cabinet Member for Transport & Environment, said: “We have been working to make sure these routes continue to serve Lewes, Newhaven, Seaford and Hailsham. Feedback from service users shows these buses are highly regarded so being able to keep very similar services with our limited budget is great news. If you use one of these routes, please check the new timetables for any changes to your bus times.“

People wishing to use these buses should check the new timetables at: www.eastsussex.gov.uk/buses

Compass Travel has produced a new timetable booklet and timetables are also available in the latest Brighton & Hove Bus Company’s “Bus Times”.