Essex

Increased Frequency and Low Floor Buses for Basildon, Southend, and Canvey

Spring cleaning on the buses brings good news for passengers

ACCESSIBLE and more frequent buses are the promise in South Essex.

Route numbers 2 and 22, serving Basildon, Southend and Canvey, will soon run with easy-access, low-floor buses - and will increase in frequency to every 20 minutes. From Monday, March 2, passengers in wheelchairs, with baby buggies or just unable to manage stairs can board and travel on the service in comfort on buses without steps.

Furthermore, on the common section of routes 2 and 22 between Tarpots, Pitsea, Clay Hill Road and Basildon, there will be buses every 10 minutes. There will be no change to the Sunday service.

Bob Dorr, Managing Director of First Essex, said: "I'm very pleased that our March service changes can bring good news for these services.

"Being able to offer accessible transport is very important to us in Essex and we plan to further improve the number of vehicles in our fleets with step-free access as soon as we can.'

Recent purchases of vehicles elsewhere in the country has meant Essex has received newer buses to bolster their fleets.

Government figures show over 10 per cent of the people living in Britain have some degree of disability that makes it difficult for them to travel by bus. Without accessible public transport, many disabled people rely on having to book private hire vehicles in advance. When the low floor vehicle arrives at the bus stop, passengers should ask the driver to lower the step and/or ramp to allow them to board.

Basildon service 12 will be withdrawn from March 1, to be replaced by the increased services on routes 2 and 22. The school service to Deanes School via Daws Heath is being replaced by extending the 15B journey, arriving at 0819. The afternoon departure from Daws Heath at 1530 will now operate as the renamed service 2A.