New Year’s Day Bus Service Well Used by Hailsham Residents

A special New Year’s Day bus service for Hailsham residents was well-received and used by passengers, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Town Council working in partnership with local bus companies.

Bus operator Cuckmere Buses stepped in to fill a big gap in the seasonal timetables over the festive break by operating a special bus service from Hailsham to Eastbourne via Polegate and Willingdon on New Year’s Day, carrying a total of 125 passengers on the day.

Cuckmere Buses, which is run entirely by volunteers was concerned that Hailsham would be left without any public transport on 1^st January, as the commercial bus companies normally serving the town do not operate on this day, leaving Hailsham residents without a transport link to Polegate train station or Eastbourne town centre.

This was the eleventh consecutive year that Cuckmere Buses has run this special bus service partly underwritten by Hailsham Town Council.

The Town Clerk at Hailsham Town Council, John Harrison, was delighted to hear about the positive feedback received from passengers who used the service last year, expressing their delight and thanks to the volunteer drivers.

He said: “Christmas and New Year can be a very busy and expensive time of year for many people. Cuckmere Buses is pleased to be playing its part by offering great value travel on New Year’s Day, making it easier for people to visit family and friends.”

“I’m pleased that Hailsham Town Council has supported Cuckmere Buses once again in enabling this vital service, and they will continue to support them and other local bus operators to make service improvements in the future, specifically for those who cannot access the conventional public transport network.”

Councillor Gavin Blake-Coggins, chairman of the Town Council’s Finance, Budget & Resources Committee said: “We are delighted that Hailsham Town Council supported Cuckmere Buses New Year’s Day service again, which enabled people to visit loved ones in neighbouring towns, allowed bargain hunters to reach Eastbourne town centre easily to do a spot of shopping, or just to simply to go for a festive pint in Hailsham town centre.”

Full details of the Cuckmere Buses service are available at www.cuckmerebuses.org.uk.

Demand for the Cuckmere Buses service means that additional volunteer drivers are needed. If you are over 25 years of age, able to offer your services and would like more information on volunteer training opportunities, contact Philip Ayers on 01323 870920 or 07834 558376.