Bus company listens to residents

Following pressure from local residents, the 50 bus service in Hollingdean will run more frequently from April.

Changes made in September last year introduced a new 50U service running from Hollingdean to the Lewes Road Sainsbury’s and on to the Falmer campuses.

However, at the same time services to the city centre were cut from 5 to 4 an hour and, after the morning rush-hour, terminated at Churchill Square without continuing to Brighton Station.
Residents were concerned because the 50 is the only bus serving Hollingdean.

Local Labour Councillor Jeane Lepper, Chair of the Hollingdean Local Action Team (LAT), called a meeting in August attended by over 50 residents. Residents said that, while some welcomed a link to Sainsbury’s, this should not lead to reductions in buses to the city centre and a cut in service to Brighton Station.

A follow-up LAT meeting was held in October after the timetable changes had come into effect. This was also attended by around 50 residents, many of whom reported long waits for buses into the city centre and overcrowded services.

As a result of this pressure Brighton and Hove Buses now plans that from April five buses an hour will run again from Hollingdean to the city until mid-afternoon on weekdays.

Buses will also continue to Brighton Station for an hour longer in the mornings, until 9.15am, so that people can use the service to catch off-peak trains departing after 9am.

Cllr Lepper said: “I’m pleased that Brighton and Hove Buses has taken the time to listen to residents’ feedback. The reduction in frequency was particularly commented on because the service had already recently been reduced from six to five an hour. So it’s good to hear that we will be going back to five an hour from April.”

Tracey Hill and Caroline Penn, two of Labour’s local election candidates for Hollingdean and Stanmer, also attended, and helped to publicise, the meetings.

Tracey said: “The 50 is vital for people in Hollingdean who would otherwise be cut off from the rest of the city. These changes are positive but there are still some who will be disappointed that the 50 no longer goes to Brighton Station all day, as people who are ill or disabled have said that having to change buses makes the journey a lot more difficult. We are still interested in hearing from people about how they are finding the bus service, and will keep passing this feedback on to the bus company.”