Here’s what major improvements could be made to East Sussex bus services

On Monday (October 25), Cllr Claire Dowling, East Sussex County Council’s lead member for transport and environment, is set to consider whether to sign off on the aims and objectives of the authority’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP), before its submission to government at the end of this month.

Drawn up in response to the government’s Bus Back Better strategy, the plan sets out the council’s strategy to significantly increase bus use around the county by improving the overall network, making it more reliable, more affordable and more accessible. 

‘Highly ambitious plan’

In a report to be considered by Cllr Dowling,  a council officer said: “The Council’s mission as a local transport authority is to ensure that East Sussex residents and visitors enjoy the highest possible quality bus services that provide a frequent and comprehensive choice, reduce congestion, and make a positive contribution to better air quality and decarbonisation.

“This mission is supported by our authority’s bus operators who will play a key role in its delivery.

“The East Sussex BSIP is a highly ambitious plan that seeks to stimulate and drive significant improvements to bus services across the local authority area and the wider region.”

While its overall aims may be straightforward, the plan itself is a wide-ranging and complex document.

DDRT schemes

Perhaps the biggest change proposed within is the replacement of many traditional bus routes with Digital Demand Responsive Transport (DDRT) schemes.

In simple terms, these DDRT schemes would see fixed bus routes replaced with routes which change day-to-day based on passengers booking pick ups and drop offs.

In total, the plan would lays out proposals for 13 such schemes, which would cover the whole of the county apart from Eastbourne and Hastings (although both towns would be expected to have DDRT schemes operating within parts of them).

Many of the non-DDRT routes which remain could also see some significant changes, with the services to run more often and into the evenings in many cases.