Improved busservice comingfor the Rye area

The company has confirmed that from 26 April it will be able to run buses from Tenterden to Hastings and from Rye to Hastings, through Fairlight on a completely commercial basis.

The popular coastal 100 service, which runs from Hastings through Winchelsea, Rye and Camber will double in frequency with two buses an hour.

It is good news for residents of Fairlight, Pett Level and Winchelsea Beach as one of the routes for the 100 will be through Fairlight and numbered 101, running hourly during the week and two hourly on Sundays. The original Rye to Hastings route via Icklesham will be numbered 100.

Stagecoach says it will also extend its route 2, which currently runs from Ashford to Tenterden, on to Northiam and Hastings hourly throughout the day, replacing threatened routes 340 and 341.

The bus company says the news should alleviate the fears of local people whose bus services may have been reduced following a review by East Sussex County Council of the supported bus network in the county.

The council will also continue to fund the Bank Holiday service on routes 254 (Hawkhurst to Tunbridge Wells), 304/5 (Hastings to Hawkhurst via Battle & Robertsbridge) and 349 (Hastings to Hawkhurst via Sedlescombe and Bodiam) although the Sunday service will be withdrawn.

Philip Norwell, managing director of Stagecoach in East Sussex said: “As 95% of our routes already operate on a commercial basis with subsidies generally only received for certain non-viable evening and Sunday journeys, we would like to reassure customers that most of our services have been unaffected. We are pleased we have been able maintain several important transport links by extending and rerouting some of our existing services, which will hopefully be sustainable.”