East Sussex buses

County advice overview

Various bus companies operate in East Sussex, many of which operate low-floor, wheelchair-accessible buses. 

You can check bus accessibility and mobility equipment criteria before you travel, by contacting your local bus company or via their website. 

The East Sussex County Council website provides a list of East Sussex bus operators, as well as information regarding concessionary fares and traveling with a disability. 

Key tips

If you are no longer driving, one of your transport options is to use the bus. You may wish to consider in advance if your nearest bus stop and destination stop are both accessible, especially if you have reduced mobility or are travelling with a scooter or wheelchair.

Bus routes

Buses can only stop at marked bus stops, so be sure where you are getting off in advance. There are often announcements, both spoken and on a screen, and you can ask the driver to let you know when your stop is approaching.

Plan ahead by finding route information and timetables online or by phoning your local authority or bus company.

Bus stops

Your nearest bus stop should provide seating and shelter. In the bigger towns and cities, they may also include live information on when the next bus is due.

Tickets

You may wish to consider concessionary travel passes, and whether cash is accepted by your bus operator. You can buy tickets in advance online. Be aware, these are often non-refundable if you cannot make your journey.

Remember that your local Hubs Mobility Advice Service can signpost you to the correct travel operator and mobility organisations.

Operators

Arriva
Contact: 01622 697000

Brighton & Hove Buses
Contact: 01273 886200

Metrobus
Contact: 01293 449191

Stagecoach East Kent and East Sussex
Contact:
0871 200 22 33 (timetable information)
08456 00 22 99 (Customer Service)

Compass Travel
Contact: 01903 690025

Cuckmere Buses
Local bus service serving rural and urban East Sussex communities, not served by the commercial bus companies. Contact: 01323 870920

Go Coaches
Bus service within Sevenoaks area. Contact: 01732 469800

Seaford & District
Local bus services across Sussex. Contact: 01273 510181

Southdown PSV Ltd
Medium-sized bus operator with routes across East Surrey, West Sussex, South London and Kent. Contact: 01342 719619

Help with cost

Disabled Person’s Bus Pass and Older Person’s Bus Pass

You can apply for a concessionary travel pass if you have reached the state pension age or have an eligible disability. 

This will allow free off-peak travel on local East Sussex bus services, between 9:30am and 11:00pm, Monday to Friday, and all day at weekends and public holidays.

You can apply online for a free concessionary bus pass, and find further information, on the East Sussex County Council website.

It is worth checking individual bus operator websites for additional travel passes which may help with cost.

Stagecoach, for example, provide DayRider and MegaRider tickets for discounted journeys on their buses. 

Special assistance

Helping Hand is an assistance card scheme providing bus users with a way to discreetly advise drivers of any assistance they may require. The free cards can be particularly helpful for customers with non-visible disabilities.

Helping Hand cards show a brief written instruction to the bus driver. For instance, ‘Please lower the ramp’.

The Helping Hand Scheme is administered by Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus in partnership with:

Southdown PSV, Compass Travel, Stagecoach, Big Lemon, Dementia Friendly Crawley, West Sussex County Council, Surrey County Council, East Sussex County Council, Brighton & Hove City Council, Streamline Taxis and City Cabs Brighton.

You can apply online, via email or by calling participating bus operators.

Further information and an application form can be found on the Brighton & Hove Buses website.

Find further information and download a card on the Metrobus website.

Journey Assistance Cards are also available from Stagecoach.

Travelling with mobility equipment

All local bus services should now provide wheelchair-accessible buses with low floors and a ramp which the driver can extend to help you get on and off. Some bus stops also have raised kerbs to allow wheelchair users to board and alight easily.

There will be a dedicated area on the bus for a passenger to sit in a wheelchair.

The Stagecoach app shows which buses have guaranteed wheelchair access.

If for any reason a wheelchair user is unable to board the bus, many operators have a wheelchair taxi guarantee scheme which provides a free accessible taxi.

• Metrobus wheelchair taxi guarantee scheme.
• Brighton & Hove wheelchair taxi guarantee scheme.

Travelling with a mobility scooter

Bus companies have different rules regarding the size and type of scooters which they will allow on board. However, in general, scooters should be no more than 600mm wide and 1000mm long and be able to turn within a space of 1200mm. 

You should contact a bus company before travelling, to check operator criteria and to find out if your scooter will be accepted.

You can find further information, regarding travelling with mobility equipment, on individual bus operator websites.

• Stagecoach
• Arriva
• Brighton & Hove
• Metrobus

Assistance dogs

All recognised guide dogs and assistance dogs are allowed to travel for free on buses.

Routes and timetable links

If you have not travelled locally by bus before, you can find route information and timetables online or by phoning your local authority or bus company. 

Stagecoach

Bus Journey Planner | Find Bus Routes | Stagecoach (stagecoachbus.com)

Arriva

Provide a journey planner, and ‘Find my Bus’ service

Brighton & Hove

Live departures, journey planning and timetables

Stagecoach

Journey planner, timetables, maps, timetables

Traveline

Is a partnership of transport companies, local authorities and passenger groups which have come together to bring you routes and times for all travel in Great Britain by bus, rail, coach and ferry.