Arriva Southern Counties withdrawals

Arriva Southern Counties is to withdraw some services in the Tonbridge area from 4 September. These are the 267/268 (Hawkhurst, Cranbrook, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells Schools), 220/221 (Addington/Wrotham and Bennett Memorial School) and 228/229 (Tunbridge Wells, Eridge, Crowborough, Jarvis Brook and Alderbrook).

Arriva Marketing Manager, Richard Lewis, said, ‘Like all bus companies, we are a commercial business that is required to operate profitably. The services we have had to withdraw were carrying insufficient people to cover the cost of providing them and we are no longer able to sustain losses on these routes. In the case of services 267 and 268 between Hawkhurst and the schools in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, these were run under contract to Kent County Council and they have awarded the contract to another operator to ensure continuity. School services 220 and 221 from the Wrotham area to the schools were already being run commercially by another operator alongside our services on the same route for some months and that operator will continue to provide their service.’

‘The 228 and 229 services between Tunbridge Wells and Crowborough that run six days a week will be replaced by a very similar half hourly service run by Seaford and District. In addition, the Brighton & Hove bus company will continue to run their half hourly service that links Tunbridge Wells, Eridge and Crowborough on its way to Brighton.’