Axing of Hastings bus link will leave people 'stranded', says campaign group

Transport Futures East Sussex (TFES) said the removal of a ‘crucial’ link on the route between Hastings and Maidstone will leave ‘significant numbers’ of people stranded.

Stagecoach ran buses from Hastings on Sundays and Bank Holidays on the 349 service, via Bodiam and Hawkhurst to Cranbrook, where passengers could catch an onward connection to Maidstone.

But the company scrapped the extension to Cranbrook from Sunday (October 30).

Derrick Coffee, from TFES, said: “In an agreement lasting the last four years, the Sunday bus ran an extra four-mile leg to Cranbrook to connect with the Arriva 5 to Maidstone. The last service was evidently well-used with six of the 10 journeys observed carrying a total of 27 passengers on that part of the route, nine of whom used the linking service.

“The disappearance of this Hastings to Maidstone link will evidently leave significant numbers of people stranded and remove a travel option open to all across the High Weald.

“Most worrying on the final day was an encounter with seven adults returning from work who wondered how they would be able to get to work on the following Sunday.

“Many who use the bus know each other and the experienced drivers know their passengers and their needs. The link should be retained.”

A spokesperson for Stagecoach said: "Bus passenger numbers continue to recover due to the change in the way people travel post-pandemic, this has been felt alongside rising operational costs and driver shortages across the industry.

"To ensure we can protect our core connections, we need to have a network that reflects the changes in people's travelling habits. We are required by the Department for Transport to review our services to see what we can operate on a sustainable basis and services that are lowly used cannot continue to run without financial support.

"​In this particular case, when the original one-year support funding from Kent County Council expired, we continued to run the section from Hawkhurst to Cranbrook at our financial risk but sadly revenue does not cover the operating cost and we can no longer sustain this position.

"We continue to work closely with the council and are committed to delivering good local bus connections in our communities."

View pictures of Hastings ' 'scariest' Halloween house

This is why a Hastings alleyway could be closed off by council

Hastings could see 20mph speed limit introduced - here's what residents think