Bus services in Kent facing widespread cuts

Bus operator Stagecoach is planning cuts to services across Kent

A bus operator is planning widespread cuts to services in Kent.

Scores of routes are to be cut or reduced which operator Stagecoach says is due to rising costs and falling demand.

Kent County Council (KCC) has described the county's operating model as "broken".

On Wednesday, the Department for Transport (DfT) released the second half of funding it had committed to improving bus services in Kent.

Stagecoach has earmarked 12 routes for closure across Folkestone and Ashford. It follows previously announced cuts by another operator, Arriva, in and around the Maidstone area.

Services coming to an end include:

• Number 2 route between Ashford and Tenterden

• Number 70 service between Folkestone and Shorncliffe

• Number 334 between Sheerness and Maidstone

Operators have said they have been left stretched as passenger numbers have not returned to pre-pandemic levels and their costs have soared.

Joel Mitchell, managing director for Stagecoach South East, said it cannot continue to run at "significant losses".

He said: "Since the pandemic we're about 20% down on passenger numbers, but our costs have gone up about 20%.

It is not yet know how many jobs will be affected by the services

Councillor Jim Martin, leader of Folkestone & Hythe District Council, said the routes earmarked for cuts were "vital" for residents getting to work, hospital, school or college.

As he called on the bus companies to "think again", he said: "Reliable, accessible and efficient public transportation is what our community deserves."

In a statement, KCC said: "The industry in Kent and across most of the UK remains de-regulated and as such there is nothing that KCC can do to prevent operators from making these commercial decisions."

Money to support services withdrawn by commercial operators will be aimed at school services, said councillor David Brazier, KCC transport cabinet member.

The DfT said KCC will receive £16.1m for their Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) to improve local bus services, speed up journey times and deliver lower fares.

The move follows an initial government investment of £19m, bringing total funding to boost Kent’s bus services to over £35m since 2022.

However, KCC said it requested more than £200m from the department.

Roads and local transport minister, Richard Holden, who visited Sevenoaks on Wednesday, described the £35m as "quite a significant chunk of money".