Details of new Go coach services and Demand Responsive Go2 service

From Monday 12 April, Go Coach will be introducing a range of new or reinstated services. Some of this builds on the company’s demand responsive Go2 service, which was introduced last year. All the proposals have been developed through close work with KCC. 

In terms of traditional, fixed line services, the following routes will be reinstated at the frequency levels seen prior to the third lockdown in January:

 Route 1 – Westerham - Sevenoaks

Route 2 –Swanley- Sevenoaks

Route 5 – Tonbridge - Sevenoaks

Route 6 – Kemsing – Sevenoaks

For residents of Farningham, Eynsford, Otford and Shoreham, Route 2 will be of most interest, and Route 6 for residents of Kemsing and Seal. 

The intra-Sevenoaks Route 8 will be restored to pre-Covid frequencies. You can find the Go Coach timetables here.

The Go2 service will be expanded to cover some of the areas served by the Sevenoaks taxi bus (one of the schemes that came out of KCC’s ‘Big Conversation’ on rural bus services). This service had limited patronage and ceased to operate during the pandemic. Now residents of Stanstead, Fairseat, West Kingsdown and East Hill will be able to access the Go2 service 6 days a week (Monday – Saturday) between the hours of 0800-1800.

Go2 will also replace part of the 429 Sunday service. The 429 (West Kingsdown to Dartford, including a stop at White Post Corner in Farningham) will reduce from an hourly to two hourly service Monday-Friday (and continue as such on Saturday). The Sunday service, which has been subsidised over a number of years by grants from KCC Members (I am one of them), will cease. However, Go2 will be expanded to  cover an area including West Kingsdown, Swanley, down the Darent Valley and central Sevenoaks. (The route beyond Swanley is covered by alternative commercial services).

In Sevenoaks, there will be a new set of flat fares for non-school journeys of £2.50, £5.00 for all day travel and £1.50 for 5-19 year olds. On Go2, ENCTS or disabled pass holders will not have free travel as on fixed line buses, but will be reduced to 50% of the standard adult fares with companion travellers paying a fare of only £1.00 per journey. 

These changes represent a significant step back towards service resumption by Go, while building on the very successful development of Go2. It’s worth noting that demand responsive bus services had a significant part in the government’s National Bus Strategy, to which KCC will soon be responding.