A petition has been launched to save the 8a bus service from Kingsgate to Canterbury,
Operator Stagecoach is bringing in changes from next month which will mean services from Broadstairs will be cut except for at peak morning and evening times.
From April 15, Route 8 will start and finish at Westwood Cross and serve the QEQM hospital and Margate.
Route 8A will start and finish at Northdown Park (Palm Bay) and run as now via The Wheatsheaf and Laleham Corner.
For those in Kingsgate and Broadstairs the 8A will travel to and from Westwood, Broadstairs and Kingsgate in the early mornings and evenings (Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
The existing 8X buses in the mornings and evenings between Broadstairs and the QEQM hospital will continue to operate but will be renumbered route 40.
Broadstairs Beacon Road ward councillor Jenny Matterface has launched a petition to try and save the route. She said: “Regular bus users in Kingsgate and in the Beacon Road area were very concerned to find out that their twice-hourly 8A bus would be re-routed and replaced by the 33 bus that would only run once an hour.
“The 38 route that connects the Palm Bay surgery with Broadstairs will continue as an hourly service. We’ve gone from three buses an hour to only two and have lost the only double-decker service that serves this part for Broadstairs.
“Once an hour is insufficient and if the GP super surgery is located at Westwood, how will people get there?
“The loss of the 8A, which isn’t subsidised by Kent County Council, between Northdown House and St. Peter’s Railway Bridge will be a blow for all users since it will mean anyone travelling to Canterbury will now need to change buses and connect with the service in Margate. “
Stagecoach says it is making several timetable changes to Thanet buses due to traffic congestion issues.
A spokesman said: “From Sunday 15 April we’re making some changes to bus routes and timetables in Thanet. These changes are designed to help improve the timekeeping and reliability of our bus services which have been affected by increasing road traffic congestion in the area.”
Thanet bus route and time changes
The Breeze route
All ‘Breeze’ route 8, 8A and 8X buses will continue to run as they do now between Margate and Canterbury, but many journeys will be retimed. Routes 8 and 8A will be adjusted so that they no longer serve Broadstairs except during peak morning or evening times.
Route 8 will start and finish at Westwood Cross and serve the QEQM hospital and Margate.
Route 8A will start and finish at Northdown Park (Palm Bay) and run as now via The Wheatsheaf and Laleham Corner.
You’ll still be able to use the 8A to travel to and from Westwood, Broadstairs and Kingsgate in the early mornings and evenings (Mondays to Saturdays) and on Sundays and Bank Holidays.
If you use the existing 8X buses in the mornings and evenings between Broadstairs and the QEQM hospital, these will continue to operate but will be renumbered route 40.
Find the petition to save the 8a route here
Route 9
Some early morning and evening route 9 buses will be retimed to help improve timekeeping and reliability.
Route 32
Stagecoach will be retiming the last bus from Margate to Dane Valley and back.
All change for the 33
This route will no longer serve Minnis Bay. But Stagecoach is doubling the number of route 34 buses, so there will still be the same level of service. The new route 33 will run hourly between Margate and Broadstairs via Cliftonville and Kingsgate. It will no longer serve Northdown Park (Palm Bay) which will be served by route 8A instead (see above).
Route 34
Route 34 will increase in frequency between Minnis Bay and Margate with buses every 15 minutes. Buses that continue beyond Margate to and from Ramsgate will continue to run every 30 minutes. Route 34X will no longer operate. Route 34 will continue to provide a half hourly service between Newington and Ramsgate.
Changes to school-time buses
From Monday 16 April the following changes will apply to school-time buses to help improve punctuality:
Route 932 – The afternoon bus from King Ethelbert School will be retimed.
Route 942 – The morning bus from Cliffs End will run a few minutes earlier throughout the route. The afternoon bus will finish at Minster Church and won’t continue to Manna Hutte.
Route 943 – The morning bus from Minster serving Monkton, St Nicholas and Birchington will be retimed throughout the route.
Route 944 – The afternoon bus will still depart at 2.38pm but with revised running times along the route.
Route 946 – This bus will depart Victoria traffic lights at 7.31am and run a few minutes earlier throughout the route.
Route 948 – The 7.54am bus from Northdown Park, The Wheatsheaf will depart 5 minutes earlier at 7.49am. The 8.07am bus from Margate will depart 6 minutes earlier at 8.01am. Both these buses will have revised timings along the route.
Route 949 – The 7.48am bus from St Peter’s Railway Bridge will depart 12 minutes earlier at 7.36am with revised timings along the route.
New printed timetable leaflets will be available on buses and from local outlets from Monday 9 April.
Follow @StagecoachSE on Twitter for regular service updates.
