West Sussex County Council has awarded an £831,000 contract to the Stagecoach South Bus Company to deliver a new bus service.
From July, the 55X is expected to start running a frequent service between Littlehampton and Chichester via Ford, Yapton, Barnham and Tangmere.
The contract will be for two years initially, funded by part of the £17.4m grant awarded to the council by the Department for Transport in 2022 for its West Sussex Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP).
If all goes well, it could be extended to seven years.
A report from Andy Ekinsmyth, head of transport & network operations, said:
“New and improved roadside infrastructure will also be installed along the route, including bus stops, shelters and real time information screens.
“The cost of this will be met from the capital BSIP grant and will be subject to the county council’s usual capital governance procedures.”
The report added that, should the service not become fully commercial by the end of the initial two-year period, then other ways on funding it – such as the use of S106 money – will have to be found.
James O’Neill, commercial director at Stagecoach, said:
“We’re really excited to announce this new service in partnership with the county council.
“With the current cost of living, we know many people think carefully about how and when they travel.
“The bus offers fantastic new opportunities for village residents – whether for shopping, work or leisure.”
The full route and timetables will be available on the Stagecoach website in the coming
weeks.
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