The 403 bus, run by Arriva as a commercial service (i.e. with no subsidy from KCC), ceased to run north of Sevenoaks at the end of last week (the more southerly Tunbridge Wells to Sevenoaks route will continue to run). This provided a service up to Swanley, Dartford and Bluewater for communities in the Darent Valley such as Shoreham and Eynsford. However, Arriva concluded that the more northerly part of the route was insufficiently used and was not viable.
The 421 Go Coach service, which is a KCC subsidised service, continues to run from Sevenoaks, up through Darent Valley communities such as Oftord (not part of my division, thought very much part of the Darent Valley), Shoreham, Eynsford and Farningham to Swanley - and of course back. However, this runs only four times a day each way, ceasing by the mid-afternoon.
The end of the 403 is a clear loss of service to residents. I have discussed with Kent Highways as to whether there are any options for enhacing the subsidised service, whether it is the 421 or looking again at the 478 (now being run by Nu Venture, who have just taken it on), which used to serve Eynsford but does not do so at present. There are no immediate obvious options; at its simplest, the subsidised bus budget is limited and will not be increasing any time soon, so what would be effectively an addition to subsidised services is not easy to support or fund. Nonetheless, I will continue to search for possible ways to tackle this new and unwelcome development. I will post an update if there is further news.
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