September 2013 Newsletter

New timetables from this weekend - The Big Lemon 52 returns to Brighton!

Many bus times change from Sunday 15 September or Monday 16th. Full details are contained in the new edition Bus Times which is widely available and on bus company websites.

For the past year buses on service 52 have terminated at Brighton Marina because the Brighton & Hove City Council refused to fund a service into Brighton. This left Ovingdean and parts of Woodingdean without a direct service to the City Centre.

Following consultation with users of the 52 earlier this year a new timetable was agreed which allows for journeys to be extended from Brighton Marina to Old Steine or Brighton Station. To avoid the cost of using an extra bus the frequency is reduced from hourly to every 90 minutes. The new timetable is available at www.thebiglemon.com and in the new edition of Bus Times.

New links from Saltdean, Rottingdean & Woodingdean to Falmer and Brighton University

From 30 September, The Big Lemon plans to extend existing 'private' service 44 which runs from Old Steine to Varley Halls and Brighton University. With financial assistance from Brighton University, it will be extended to serve Woodingdean, Rottingdean and Saltdean. Initially there will be three journeys in the mornings and three in the afternoons during term times. Unlike the existing service, the new 44 will be open to members of the public. The Big Lemon regrets the buses will not be wheelchair accessible at first.

This development is excellent news and is something Brighton Area Buswatch has campaigned for. We hope local people will make full use of the new facility so it can be grow further and fully accessible buses can be purchased. Full details on www.thebiglemon.com

Lewes Road bus and cycle lanes completed early

The new bus and cycle lanes are now in use between Lewes Road bus garage and Falmer, assisting buses and providing cycle lanes largely separated from other traffic. Bus use along the Lewes Road has increased by 7% over the past year compared with around 4% in other parts of the City. This is quite an achievement given the disruption created by construction work. It demonstrates the potential for further growth now that the main part of the scheme is completed.

Next year attention will move south to improving the Vogue gyratory around Sainsbury's, as we reported last month. Andrew Boag from Brighton Area Buswatch has been closely involved in the planning of this scheme, along with other community and cycle groups.

Lewes Road Improvements launch event

Join us and other community groups on Saturday 5 October at Wild Park, Moulsecoomb between 1pm and 4pm to celebrate the improvements along Lewes Road. There are activities for all the family. More details on www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/lewesroad.

Your views on 20mph scheme

Last month we reported that Brighton & Hove City Council is currently consulting on the Phase 2 of its plan to introduce 20mph zones throughout the city. The consultation closes on 4 October and is available at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/consultation.

Andrew's newsletter continues in the next column

September 2013 News: continued

The Explorer ticket saga continues - Stagecoach South drops out

Stagecoach South stopped issuing and accepting Explorer tickets from Sunday 1 September. This affects all Stagecoach services in West Sussex, including Worthing route 7 (sub-contracted to Compass Bus) plus routes 17 and 700 within Brighton & Hove.

This decision was not publicised by Stagecoach. We found out from the Metrobus Facebook page. Stagecoach South told us in July it was losing money on these tickets because other operators sold them at lower prices, but gave no indication they were about to stop selling them. It was initially left to drivers and other bus companies to explain the position to confused and angry bus passengers, although notices have now appeared inside Stagecoach buses.

We have heard from some users whose return fares have increased from £8.75 to over £14 because they now have to by two tickets. This will not encourage bus travel and has created real hardship for people on low incomes.

Stagecoach South argues that the area covered by its services is vast, stretching from Brighton in the East to Portsmouth and Salisbury in the west and north to Reading. So its price was inevitably higher than on smaller networks, but it was obliged to accept tickets issued by other companies.

At present Explorer tickets remain available on most other buses in our area, including Stagecoach buses in East Sussex, but prices vary and availability may change at short notice. Please check with your local bus company before travelling. Bus companies may introduce new day tickets valid on one operator only at a lower price. Thesussexbus.com has already done this with a new £6.50 'Red Rider' day ticket while increasing the price of Explorer tickets.

Fortunately there are some encouraging signs. Brighton Area Buswatch understands that West Sussex County Council has been negotiating an agreement with bus companies to introduce a common price for Explorer tickets sold in the county. Hopefully Stagecoach South will sign this agreement and re-introduce Explorer tickets soon, at least in West Sussex.

Stagecoach has also indicated a willingness to join other multi-operator ticketing schemes where a fixed price is agreed. We are optimistic they will participate in an all operator smartcard for the Brighton & Hove area, which we are campaigning for.

Bus Users UK has called for Explorer tickets to be valid nationally. In theory it is a simple concept with each participating bus company keeping the revenue from tickets sold on its buses; there are no complicated re-imbursement procedures. With eligibility for concessionary passes being reduced to match the increasing pension age, there is a huge new market for competitively priced leisure tickets. Enterprising bus companies should exploit this.

Six buses an hour on the 6

Brighton & Hove route 6 from Brighton Station to Hove, Portslade and Downs Park has been improved to run every 10 minutes during the daytime providing a frequent turn up and go service from Brighton Station to Churchill Square and Western Road. With the evening service now every 15 minutes there will usually be a modern wi-fi equipped No 6 waiting at Brighton station. These frequency improvements are the result of suggestions from Brighton Area Buswatch.

Queens Park Crush?

The 81 & 81B have been reduced to run every 12 minutes through Queens Park during the daytime, with a further reduction to every 15 minutes at some peak times. From our observations buses get very crowded between St James Street and Queens Park in the afternoons. Some double deckers have been promised and we would be interested to hear your experiences of the new timetable. We will present your feedback to the bus company at our next meeting.

Next Meeting date

Our next meeting with bus operators and Brighton & Hove City Council is on Wednesday 16 October in Hove Town Hall. Note that this is one week later than the date agreed at the previous meeting. All future meetings will commence at 5.30pm as we need to vacate the room by 7.30pm. Meetings are open to all members and supporters but please let us know in advance if you wish to attend as space is limited.

This newsletter is edited and produced by Andrew Boag, Chair, Brighton Area Buswatch, with minor changes by secretary Peter Elvidge. We welcome your comments and suggestions. Printed copies of the newsletter are available from Hove town hall reception.

The next issue is due in mid October.