Brighton Area Buswatch

Representing Bus Users

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Welcome to the Brighton Area Buswatch website:

For the latest post Corona Virus information- see below.

As far as possible, we will try to keep you up to date on our website.


Click here- for our latest January/February'24 Buswatch newsletter-

This may be openable in Word, and other Open format text programs.

Our latest Buswatch Newsletter includes:-
  • New buses are coming.
  • Possible new Electric buses, on 7 route.
  • Changes to Buswatch.
  • Valley Gardens 3 going ahead.
  • Pool Valley open again.
  • One stop Travel.
  • Our next public meeting in April.

Post Coronavirus update: It is passengers' choice whether to wear a mask, or not. However, safety enhancements such as keeping windows open, and enhanced cleaning; have been maintained.

To find Brighton Buswatch's Facebook page- Click here.
For an excellent place to find up to the minute Transport information, for an extended Newhaven area, see Nash's facebook page.

Good news: The promotional £2 maximum single fare, has been extended until at least the middle of 2024.

All our information is thought to be correct to 5th March 2024.


Brighton & Hove Bus Co. : From 18th February 2024, services 12/12A/12X/N12, all 14 services and 492/494, have all seen minor tweaks to timetables to improve reliability.
As well as the £2 maximum single fare, there is a maximum £5 unlimited travel fare, within the city (including cash fares), and special offers for people under 19. If you use Tap-on, Tap-off; then the cost of the second and subsequent days 'Saver' is reduced, within that week. This makes it cheaper than 'The Key' daily fare, and sometimes cheaper than the 24 hour fare on the app!
Although if you want to make use of a £5 ticket in East Sussex you must use the B&H app.

Brighton & Hove has its all encompassing app. While Apple Express (on iphones) is available; but please keep your phone separate from debit cards, or the system may not know which one to charge!
Click here for Brighton & Hove's main website.

Stagecoach: Covering the area between Littlehampton, Worthing, and Brighton.
In March 2023, Stagecoach increased the frequency on the 700 up to every 12 minutes (a welcome restoration of frequency). And increased the Pulse service to run every 15 minutes daytime.
Click here-for the Stagecoach website.

The Big Lemon: Services 16, 47 & 52 paper timetables are now available from One Stop Travel, in North Street, Brighton. For the latest information, visit the Big Lemon website. or phone 01273 681681.

Metrobus, south and mid Sussex:
While outside our area, it may be useful to know Crawley services 20 & 200 have improved to become a 24 hour service. Also if you want to travel to Oxford, there is a daytime coach from Gatwick to Oxford (via Heathrow) For the latest information click here- for the Metrobus website

Compass Travel: Earlier this year, Compass Travel saw a number of its services in East Sussex enhanced, using BSIP money. As with other operators, the £2 single ticket can let you travel further. Click here for the Compass Travel's website. From December 23, The service 127 now runs during the day, not just at peak-times. The service 37/37B timetable is now available from One stop Travel, in North Street

CTLA & Cuckmere bus services: Click here for their website Or phone 01273 517332.
We do not generally list changes to Cuckmere bus services.

For more details on how to be involved click here.

 

May we welcome new members and supporters reading our news for the first time.

We are independent from bus companies and local authorities. Our policy is to influence decisions by building relationships and working with others. We have meetings four times a year with bus companies and Council representatives where members concerns are discussed. They also have an opportunity to explain future proposals.

Click here- for the September to November 2023 newsletter

Click here- for the May to August 2023 newsletter

Click here- for the March/April 2023 newsletter

Click here- for the February 2023 newsletter

Click here- for the January 2023 newsletter

Click here- for the November/December 2022 newsletter

Click here- for the October 2022 newsletter


For some of our previous newsletters (click here):

 

What we do:

Brighton Area Buswatch deals mostly with strategic issues affecting lots of people. We campaign for improvements to bus services and fares on behalf of bus users. Our policy is to build relationships with local Councils, local interest groups and bus companies to find out about their plans so we can make suggestions and try to influence them. Criticising authorities after they've implemented changes is usually too late to make a difference, so we try to avoid this situation occurring. However we will sometimes suggest lessons to be learnt, especially if we think it could help to avoid mistakes being repeated.

We are lucky to have excellent bus services in much of our area which are well-used and very few require public subsidies. Recently around 50 million passenger journeys were made by bus in Brighton & Hove which compares with under 20 million journeys in Southampton or Portsmouth which are similar in size. This is a tremendous achievement but we recognise that people's expectations are always rising and there are always improvements that can be made.

If you have a particular problem regarding a bus service or an incident on a recent journey we advise you in the first instance, to contact the bus company concerned. In our experience most local bus companies are keen to receive feedback and will do their best to help if they can. Our partners at Bus Users UK can deal with appeals if a customer is not satisfied with the response from a bus company or local authority.

 

What we have achived in the recent past includes:-

  • We suggested a one-hour single ticket, which has been introduced, so enabling passengers to change buses without needing to pay again.
  • We successfully campaigned for Saver tickets, Key Card and m-tickets to be valid on all Council supported bus services in Brighton & Hove.
  • We rejoined the Council's Quality Bus partnership, enabling us to influence planning decisions affecting all local bus companies.
  • We suggested improvements to late night services to Goldstine Valley and to lewes; and have been pressing for improvements to route 37 to Meadowview and the Bristol Estate; plus later Sunday evening jouneys to Worthing.
  • We have expressed concerns about the revised Valley Gardens scheme. This would reduced the number of lanes for general traffic, so risks causing buses severe delays and unreliability problems, particularly when traffic is busier (especially at weekends and on nice summer days).

More News:
Below, you can see our poster which has appeared on buses. If you are interested in joining, also click here for our 'takaway leaflet'

 

 

Our Public Transport Information page- includes links to real-time bus information for Metrobus and Worthing area services (as well as real-time information in the Brighton area- both the city council and the Brighton and Hove Bus Company).

 

Photos:
top left: Brighton & Hove bus etc.
top right: Stagecoach bus

 

above: Compass Bus service

 

above: Big Lemon CIC bus

 

above: Brighton & Hove Bus