Funding from Brighton & Hove City Council and West Sussex County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIP) will soon be helping to better link the city with communities in West Sussex.
Working with bus operator Stagecoach, the number 17 bus between Brighton & Hove and Horsham will soon be running later into the evening and, for the first time since 2020, on Sundays.
Starting from Sunday 1 September, the route will better link the city with Horsham and villages such as Henfield, Cowfold and Mannings Heath.
Brighton & Hove residents can catch the 17 from Churchill Square, Old Steine, Preston Circus and Patcham Place with all journeys currently costing a maximum of £2.
The BSIP funding is helping to support:
Stagecoach will also be running more buses to accompany BSIP funded improvements. Henfield to Brighton & Hove will now have a half-hourly service Monday to Saturday from 6:30am to 6pm, with the hourly service now extending as late as 10:30pm.
Download the Stagecoach app for timetable and journey information.
Councillor Trevor Muten, cabinet member for Transport, Parking and Public Realm said: “This is another great example of how we’re using funding from the Bus Service Improvement Plan to enhance and expand services across the city and beyond.
“With the 17 running longer and later, we better link people with friends and family, encourage visitors to spend more time in the city and enable improved sustainable public transport for those who commute to work, helping to boost the local economy.
“The BSIP is already supporting cheaper, more reliable journeys across Brighton & Hove. Working in partnership with West Sussex County Council and Stagecoach means we can use this funding to improve the network beyond the city’s boundary.”
Councillor Joy Dennis, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “This is really positive news for our communities. Improving transport links between West Sussex and Brighton gives people more options for travel and more opportunities to enjoy everything our region has to offer.
“Enhancing our transport services is key to West Sussex County Council’s priority of having a sustainable and prosperous economy, and enabling people to connect with neighbouring towns and cities, as well as within the county itself, plays a big part in that.
“This successful partnership working with Brighton and Hove City Council and Stagecoach supports the aim in our Bus Service Improvement Plan to provide a regular service that links people to key locations, such as a major city like Brighton.”
James O’Neill, Commercial Director for Stagecoach South said: “We're really pleased to see our partnership with West Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council start delivering some great improvements for bus customers in our region.
“We're working hard to make it easier to travel by bus throughout the week, especially later in the evening and at the weekend. We look forward to welcoming new customers on board”.
In March 2021, the government asked local councils, working with bus operators, to produce an ambitious Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
The Department for Transport has awarded £27.9m to Brighton and Hove City Council, and £19.6m to West Sussex County Council, to implement their council’s transport plans.
The plans set out council’s targets for things like journey times, reliability, passenger growth and customer satisfaction. Actions in other areas such as zero emissions vehicles will also be monitored and reported against.
