£166,000 bus shelter investment benefits Service 500 passengers

Passengers travelling between Littlehampton and Chichester are benefiting from more than £166,000 of investment in new bus shelters.

The shelters have been installed along Stagecoach’s Service 500 route using funding from West Sussex County Council’s Bus Service Improvement Programme.

The pilot project is a partnership involving the county council, Stagecoach South and the parish councils serving Barnham and Eastergate, Aldingbourne, Oving and Yapton.

Local knowledge and transport expertise were used to identify suitable locations, with the county council and Stagecoach providing advice on safety and suitability.

Councillor Erika Woodhurst-Trueman, West Sussex County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “The new shelters along the 500 route are a welcome improvement that will make a real difference to people who use the bus. They provide a more comfortable place to wait and help make bus travel a more attractive and convenient choice for local journeys.

“This scheme is part of our wider ambition to create a better bus network across the county. By investing in better infrastructure such as these shelters and by working collaboratively with our partners in combining our expertise and resources, we can deliver meaningful improvements that directly benefit the communities we serve.”

The new shelters have been installed at:

• Eastergate Medical Centre
• Fontwell Roundabout East and West
• Western Road, Oving
• Longacres Way, Oving
• Peckham Chase
• War Memorial
• Yapton Co-Op
• Yapton Village Hall

The parish councils will be responsible for maintaining the shelters in the future.

Nina-Maria McMaster, Assistant Clerk for Barnham and Eastergate Parish Council, said: "The residents of Barnham and Eastergate and the other parishes who have received new bus shelters are absolutely delighted. The shelters have made such a difference already providing cover from the summer sun. The winter will be so much more comfortable for so many.

“This investment in well-designed shelters, will encourage greater bus use, deliver public value, support inclusive mobility, and help meet our climate goals."

Stagecoach’s Service 500 connects Chichester, Shopwhyke, Tangmere, Fontwell, Barnham, Yapton and Littlehampton.

The route also provides connections to shopping and leisure facilities, St Richard’s Hospital and rail services at Barnham. More than one million passenger journeys have been made on the service.

Marc Reddy, Managing Director of Stagecoach South, said: “Service 500 is an important link for communities across Chichester, Shopwhyke, Tangmere, Fontwell, Barnham, Yapton and Littlehampton, connecting villages and housing developments with shopping and leisure areas, St Richard’s Hospital and rail services in Barnham. Having carried more than one million customers, the route plays a vital role in connecting people to the places and services that matter to them.

“We’re pleased to be working in partnership with West Sussex County Council and local partners to deliver these new bus shelters, supported through Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding. These improvements are a great example of what can be achieved through collaborative working, and will help make bus travel more comfortable and accessible for our customers. With services running up to every 30 minutes Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays, the 500 provides a frequent and important connection for communities across the route.”

Service 500 is the first route to benefit from the new partnership model. West Sussex County Council says further routes and funding opportunities are being explored for similar improvements.

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