Loss of Tangmere bus service causes 'great concern'

The number 55 Stagecoach bus route was paused while a Covid-19 testing station was in use at Tangmere airfield. But since it’s closure, the 55 service has not resumed in the village with Stagecoach saying service users had begun to use ‘alternative stops’.

In a joint letter from Tangmere Parish Council and Tangmere Military Aviation Museum, concerns were raised about the services restoration and ‘half of the village’ being left without suitable access to the bus service.

The letter reads: “The interim arrangements which included terminating the 55 route at Meadow Way and commencing the return service from the same place has effectively cut off half of the residents of Tangmere from an accessible bus service.

“Additionally, now that the Museum has re-opened following the removal of Covid 19 regulations regarding indoor activities, public access for visitors has been affected for those relying on public transport.

"Clearly both Parish Council members and the Museum management team understood and supported the interim arrangements whilst the testing station performed an important part of the fight against the pandemic.

"However, now that the testing station is closed and the road layout works have been completed, we would ask that Stagecoach re-instates the three bus stops currently suspended, allowing a return service that covers the whole of Tangmere and supports the valuable work done at the Museum.”

A spokesperson for the groups said half of the village now has an ‘unacceptably’ long walk to Meadow Way resulting in many of the more elderly or those with mobility issues being effectively cut off from the bus service.

A spokesperson for Stagecoach South said: “We were asked to cease serving bus stops at Tangmere Aviation Museum and Church Lane during the pandemic whilst the site was in use as a testing centre.

“During the last two years the majority of passengers have adjusted to use alternative stops at Meadow Way. We've no plans for further route changes which would worsen bus journey times for other residents in the village.”

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