Stagecoach and MP hold Eastbourne bus customer forum

Josh Babarinde OBE MP and Stagecoach South East recently held a unique, on-bus customer forum in Eastbourne to give local residents a direct voice in shaping the future of public transport

Key Highlights of the Forum

• Location: The event was held directly on board an active Stagecoach bus service in Eastbourne. 
• Leadership: The forum was hosted collaboratively by Eastbourne's MP, Josh Babarinde, and Joel Mitchell, the Managing Director of Stagecoach South East. 
• Purpose: It provided an open platform for commuters to share first-hand experiences, outline expectations, and discuss future infrastructure changes. 

Local Customer Concerns Raised

While Stagecoach leadership noted that many passengers praised the local drivers, the forum focused heavily on ongoing challenges in the region. According to community feedback from the Eastbourne Area Bus User Group and local digital forums, passengers highlighted several critical issues: 

• Route specific delays, particularly regarding Route 3.
• Frequent short-notice cancellations leaving passengers stranded.
• Poor bus stop information and confusing drop-off points, notably at the bottom of Gildredge Road.
• Reduced frequencies, such as hourly gaps in regional connecting lines. 

The Path Forward

Stagecoach South East emphasized that improving regional transit requires a long-term strategy, including targeted investments to boost reliability and make buses a preferred alternative to cars. In tandem with the forum, the operator has introduced a few updates to smooth out travel for Eastbourne passengers: 

1. Punctuality Restructuring: Stagecoach has begun altering its internal controller teams to communicate delays and cancellations much more transparently to passengers. 
2. Flexible Fares: Passengers can access discounted multi-day bundles on the Stagecoach Bus App to lower commuting costs. [1, 2]
3. Political Pressure: MP Josh Babarinde continues to advocate in Parliament for Eastbourne to receive its fair share of national infrastructure funding via the upcoming Bus Services Bill