At a Glance
- Bus travel across the city is described as impractical and unaffordable
- Full buses are reportedly leaving school children behind
- The Green Party in Southend is calling for buses to come under council control
- Concerns have been raised over reliability, overcrowding, routes, and rising costs
The Green Party in Southend is calling for urgent action to fix failing local bus services, warning that unreliable, expensive, and overcrowded buses are leaving residents—and especially students—struggling to get around the city.
Residents report buses arriving late, early, all at once or not at all, with no real time information available. Fares starting at £2.70 for short journeys—and additional charges when switching operators—are adding pressure to stretched household budgets.
Bus travel is becoming a barrier to education
Lauren Ekins, Green Party candidate for Belfairs, said:
“Unreliable and costly services are directly affecting young people. Bus travel consistently comes up with students as a barrier to education—the reliability, routes, and cost being the main factors.”
Many young people wait at unlit stops in the early morning only to be left behind. Students are missing lessons because full buses pass them by or when limited hourly services force them to leave early.
Inflated costs and disappearing routes
With adult and child fares around £3 each way, a parent taking one child to school could pay up to £18 a day. Meanwhile, routes are being cut without proper consultation, and private operators continue to prioritise profit over public need.
Greens propose bringing buses into council control
The Green Party in Southend are calling for the council to take charge of the city’s bus network—following successful models elsewhere in the UK. Their plan includes:
- A service designed around community need, with better routes and reliability
- Affordable fares and a Southend travel pass for regular users
- Enough buses to meet demand
- Greener buses, higher service standards, and accountability
They argue that better buses would boost passenger numbers, cut congestion, and help residents access jobs, education, and essential services more easily.