LETTER: Poor service on the buses

It is about time Stagecoach did something about the poor service it runs on longer distance routes.

Over the years it has amalgamated different routes into one so one has to go ‘all around the houses’ to get anywhere. In the last three weeks during my bus travels two 98 and two 51 buses have not turned up. If travelling towards Eastbourne at least one has the chance of something eventually turning up, but what about people who only have these particular buses to rely on?

Stagecoach also seems to use its most run-down buses on the longer routes whereas their newer stock stays within the town area. This morning the 98 due out of Eastbourne about 8.40am got as far as just off the dual carriageway into Hailsham when it came to a halt. The driver got off with a mobile and stood outside. She then started the bus only to get off again onto her mobile.

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We just sat there while she stayed outside. After some while she got back on again but said nothing. Someone then called out “what is going on?” and she said the bus had overheated and she was waiting for an engineer to come either from Eastbourne or Hastings. Some passengers got off, but too far for me to walk into Hailsham so I asked if she could trundle the bus a bit closer to the town, but she said no.

As no more information was forthcoming (she could see I was on a walking stick) I got off and waited hoping I could flag a bus down coming into Hailsham thinking that she could have found out this information and assisted, but obviously public relations is not part of their training!

I had to abort my journey as I would have been too late arriving in Bexhill, got into Hailsham on the next bus and came home. It’s a pity there is not a compensation system like the air and train services, but I guess Stagecoach would be overwhelmed! No wonder people are not leaving their cars to use public transport.

J. LUCE

Winchester Way