East Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan: Impact report, October 2022 to March 2026
Introduction
The Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) sets out how East Sussex County Council has been improving bus services throughout the county.
Since receiving BSIP funding from the Department for Transport in 2022, improvements have been delivered to services, infrastructure and accessibility.
This report summarises the impact for our residents and communities between October 2022 and March 2026.
Key impacts
Key improvements delivered through the BSIP include:
- Over 35 routes run more frequently, supporting 9 million journeys each year
- 90% of East Sussex covered by Flexibus, carrying more than 38,000 passengers a year
- £37 million in social and economic benefits across the county
- 35,000 households with improved access to services, jobs and social connections
- Improved local air quality - 669 tonnes of CO2 reduced from fewer cars on the road
- Buses act as ‘social glue – 1 in 3 people have made a bus journey to stay socially connected
Funding
Total BSIP funding received: £41.4 million, divided as:
- £22.3 million (54%) capital investment - for long-term infrastructure improvements
- £19.1 million (46%) revenue funding - for operational costs and service delivery
How the funding was used:
Bus priority schemes (48.5%)
- £1.2 million for traffic light priority
- £18.8 million for bus lanes and bridges
Bus services (34%)
- £10.5 million for improving conventional bus routes
- £3.5 million for demand-responsive transport (Flexibus)
Fare reduction schemes (11%)
- £4.5 million to support lower fares
Bus stop improvements (3.5%)
- £1.5 million for improvements including bus shelters, timetable cases, mobility hubs, hard standings and interchanges
Other work and spending (1%)
- £0.6 million for other work and project costs, including marketing and communications
Delivering value
For every £1 invested in improving bus services, £3.87 in social, economic and environmental value has been generated for local communities.
This includes:
- New routes, increased frequency and extended timetables
- Demand-responsive transport (Flexibus)
- Improved access to jobs, education and communities
- Reduced emissions and less congestion
Delivering benefits
The Bus Service Improvement Plan has delivered an estimated £37 million in total benefits for East Sussex.
These benefits fall into three main areas:
Economic benefit: £26.4 million
- Supporting local businesses and spending
- Jobs and wider economic activity
Social benefit: £9.6 million
- Improved access to jobs and services
- Better journeys and reduced social isolation
Environmental benefit: £1 million
- Reduced emissions and cleaner air
- Fewer cars on the road
Economic benefits
Bus service improvements generated an estimated £26.4 million in economic benefit for East Sussex.
Local spending
Bus passengers contribute around £7 million in spending to local businesses.
- More frequent and better-connected services make it easier to access work, shopping and leisure.
- 1 in 3 shopping trips would not happen without bus services.
Average spending per trip, by activity:
- Shopping: £31.80
- Leisure: £24.95
- Commuting: £20.50
Jobs and economic activity
Bus improvements support around £19 million in jobs and wider economic activity across East Sussex.
- Supports employment in the transport sector and supply chain.
- Better connectivity supports economic activity across East Sussex, helping businesses to grow.
Wider impact:
- Around 1,200 people are employed locally in the bus sector
- The bus sector contributes approximately £165 million to the local economy
Social benefits
Bus service improvements generated an estimated £9.6 million in social benefits for East Sussex communities.
Access to jobs, services and opportunities
Bus improvements delivered around £1.5 million in benefits by improving access to jobs, services and community connections.
- Better bus services improve access to employment, education and opportunities
- Nationally, almost 20% of people have turned down a job offer
if there was an inadequate bus service - A 10% reduction in bus travel times can cause up to a 0.3% increase in employment.
Journey times, reliability and quality of life
Improved journey times and reliability delivered around £3 million in benefits.
- Over 35 routes with increased frequency, giving more flexibility and choice
- Quicker journeys and reduced waiting times means more time for the things that matter, increasing quality of life.
- 35% of bus users over 60 would not travel without a bus service
Travel options, inclusion and safer roads
Improved travel options and safer roads delivered around £5.1 million in benefits.
- Flexibus gives people flexibility and the freedom to travel when they need to
- More bus use means fewer cars on the road, reducing traffic and road accidents
- More travel options help reduce isolation and support community connections
Environmental benefits
Bus service improvements generated an estimated £1 million in environmental benefits for East Sussex.
Reduced emissions and cleaner air
Bus improvements have reduced carbon emissions by 669 tonnes of CO₂, primarily by reducing car journeys.
- Better, more frequent bus services make it easier to choose the bus over driving
- This leads to fewer car journeys, reduced traffic and cleaner air
What this means in practice:
- Bus service improvements have reduced local car travel by around 170,000 kilometres
- Compared to buses, petrol car journeys produce around 3 times more CO₂ per passenger
- A full double-decker bus can take up to 75 cars off the road
Wider environmental impact:
- Total CO₂ reduction includes 30 tonnes saved by Flexibus.
- Equivalent to taking around 152 cars off the road for a year!
Air quality improvements
Bus improvements have also reduced other harmful pollutants over a three-year period:
- Nitrogen oxides (NOx): 0.32 tonnes
- Carbon monoxide (CO): 3.5 tonnes
- Particulate matter (PM): 0.02 tonnes
These pollutants are commonly produced by vehicle exhaust and contribute to air pollution and health impacts.
Service improvements
Improved bus services have increased access to jobs, services and opportunities across East Sussex
- Improvements have been concentrated in areas of the county with higher levels of deprivation, supporting communities that rely most on public transport
- Of the 35 routes that offer more frequent services, 24 serve the most deprived communities in the county
- Improved services provide better access for over 35,000 East Sussex households within a 10-minute walk of a bus route
- National studies show that improving local bus services by just 10% can reduce social deprivation by 3.6%
Passenger growth
Bus passenger levels fell significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic but have since recovered steadily.
Passenger numbers as a percentage of 2019 demand:
- 2020: 48%
- 2021: 57%
- 2022: 81%
- 2023: 89%
- 2024: 96%
- 2025: 98%
By 2025, numbers had recovered to 98% of pre-pandemic levels.
Throughout 2025, passenger numbers consistently ranged between 93% and 102% of 2019 demand, with several months exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the first time.
Demand responsive transport: Flexibus
Flexibus provides on-demand bus services in areas with limited timetabled bus routes.
- Covers 90% of the county, improving access across rural areas
- Carries over 38,000 passengers each year
- Bookable via app, phone, or online, providing flexible journeys tailored to needs
- Supports access to key services, social connections and the wider transport network
“Flexibus is a lifeline for those of us in rural communities.” – Flexibus user
Operator delivery
Improvements to bus services have been delivered in partnership with local bus service operators.
Brighton and Hove Buses
Fleet and investment
- 65 new double-decker buses introduced across East Sussex: 41 buses on Coaster routes (Eastbourne to Brighton corridor) and 24 buses on Regency routes serving Eastbourne, Hailsham, Lewes and Uckfield
- £19 million private sector investment in new fleet, enabled by partnership working and bus priority improvements
Service improvements
- Route 28 extended to Hailsham and Eastbourne
- New route 29A introduced, providing hourly connections to Heathfield
- Increased frequency on Coaster route 12X, supported by wider BSIP investment
- New 24-hour route 500 service connecting Eastbourne and Gatwick Airport
Compass Travel
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Stagecoach South East
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