Following a review of all of our services, we will be making some changes to various services from Wednesday 3rd January 2024.
Island Buses 360/361/362
The 360 service will now serve Thistle Hill on an hourly basis, Monday to Saturday. This provides a new link for residents, enabling connections with employment and other essential local facilities. We will no longer be using the stops at Minster Library, Minster Primary and Minster High Street, with all services apart from the school time buses diverted via Scocles Road and Thistle Hill. This is also due to the parked vehicles and high kerbs in Minster High Street, with a number of buses being damaged and delayed in recent months. We have worked with the local authorities to look at alternatives, however this narrow road is no longer suitable for an all day bus service. Customers who normally use these stops can board at Scocles Road Top (Back Lane) and Barton Hill Drive, or alternatively get the 334 from Minster Broadway.
The 1715 360 from Sheerness will depart at 1730 to allow for later working.
We have also added in more running time in various places on the 360 service due to congestion, and to improve reliability.
The 361 service will now operate in a both directions between Morrisons, Queenborough and Rushenden, instead of the current one-way loop. This enables customers to make short journeys between these points.
The 362 service will operate hourly and Monday to Friday only, due to low usage at various times.
Sittingbourne Area
The 334 service has been retimed in the evenings.
The 326/327 service has been retimed slightly to allow for congestion and improve reliability. The 0720 from Sittingbourne to Medway schools will depart at 0710. The Saturday service has been retimed.
The 347/349 service has been retimed to improve reliability.
The 355 service to Faversham Schools will leave Sittingbourne at 0722 instead of 0730 to allow for congestion in the Faversham area.
We hope that these changes will improve the overall level of reliability without inconveniencing too many people. The volume of roadworks and congestion in the area has been highly problematic, with two major infrastructure schemes on the A249, on top of ongoing disruption with gas, electricity, water, internet and other providers wanting to close or dig up roads. As ever, we highly value our customers, and we thank you for bearing with us as our staff endeavour to do their best under challenging circumstances.
Timetables will be available in the next few weeks.