City's buses rated lowest for value - survey

Respondents considered factors such as distance travelled, cost compared to other modes of transport and the cost of fares compared to a year ago

Bus passengers in Brighton and Hove are among the least satisfied with the value for money for journeys, a survey from a transport watchdog suggests.

According to the Transport Focus research, just 55% of 1,073 passengers surveyed were satisfied with value, making it joint-lowest out of the 34 local transport authority areas surveyed.

But Brighton & Hove Buses, which is taking part in the government's £2 bus fare cap scheme, said it thought fares "represent excellent value for money".

Stagecoach South, which operates a smaller number of routes in Brighton, declined to comment.

In terms of value for money, Surrey also came at the lower end of the scale at 28th, with 66% of passengers saying they were satisfied with costs.

The survey included responses from 35,000 passengers across the 34 English areas.

Overall, 67% of fare passengers said they were satisfied with value for money.

Respondents considered factors such as distance travelled, cost compared to other modes of transport and the cost of fares compared to a year ago.

When responses were separated into individual bus providers, Brighton & Hove Buses - operated by Go-Ahead - also came among the lowest in terms of satisfaction with value for money.

Just 54% of passengers said they were satisfied with the operator, putting it 53rd out of 55 bus operators covered by the survey.

But the operator said it offered a £2 flat fare "undertaken of any distance" as part of the government scheme introduced in January 2023.

"For £2, passengers can travel from Brighton all the way to Eastbourne or Tunbridge Wells," its managing director Ed Wills said.

'It's really good'

"In a time when a takeaway coffee can cost close to £4, we think our fares represent excellent value for money."

Speaking to BBC Sussex, mother-of-four Ruth Shelley pointed out that single fare paying adults could travel with up to four children for free.

"I think [the survey] is unfair," she said. "It's really good."

Mark, another Brighton resident who did not want to give his surname, said the service was "very good".

"It starts early enough and finishes late enough."

David Sidebottom, director of Transport Focus, said weekly or monthly fares may have increased over the past year.

"They will not have had the advantages of other passengers using the £2 single fare over the same period of time.”

Both Brighton and Surrey fared better in terms of the percentage of passengers satisfied with journeys overall, at 82% and 83% respectively.

Councillor Trevor Muten, chair of Brighton & Hove's transport and sustainability committee, said it had a "remarkably good bus service" overall.

Surrey County Council and Stagecoach South East were also contacted for comment.