Number 21 bus in South Essex scaled back with hundreds signing petition to save it
First Bus says the service is underused
An “essential” Essex bus route will be scaled back, with cuts to the service, after fears about it being completely axed.
First Bus will reduce the number 21 bus, between Canvey Island to Southend, from two an hour to one each hour. Furious campaigners say the route “has served as a lifeline for thousands of residents.” It comes as the bus firm has been reviewing its services across the county. Southend City Council stepped into prop up the bus service, according to First Bus.
The firm is also cutting some of the service, as the section of route between Thorpe Bay and Southend will no longer run. The company says it’s “worked to minimise any impact as much as possible.” The service runs from Southend Travel Centre – just off Southend High Street – to Furtherwick Road, Canvey Island.
A petition to save the number 21 has received almost 700 signatures and says: “Public transportation is a crucial infrastructure that enables sustainable living and reduces traffic congestion. The residents of Benfleet rely on Bus 21 not only for convenience but as a necessity. Many elderly and disabled people, who do not have reliable alternatives, will be left isolated without this service.”
It comes after similar concerns and discussions around the number 20 which runs between Hullbridge and Southend. A letter leaked in April suggested it could be saved but changed.
A spokesman for First Bus said: “The 21 service will provide a revised hourly service between Benfleet and Southend with funding from Southend City Council. Additional trips in the morning and afternoon will support schools and run as the 21S. We have previously highlighted concerns at underuse of this service and worked hard to encourage use but this has not improved, and therefore a reduction in frequency is necessary for the service to continue.”