Kent’s Stagecoach bus services will see significant timetable and ticket price changes starting January 12, affecting many local routes.
Canterbury: Stagecoach is shaking things up with new bus timetable changes coming this January. Starting January 12, there will be several updates that affect routes in Kent, especially around Canterbury and Faversham.
Most of the changes are about bus times. Stagecoach says these tweaks will help make services more reliable. The 3/X3 routes, which connect Canterbury and Faversham, are getting the biggest changes.
For instance, the Route 3 bus won’t run during off-peak hours anymore. They’re doing this because not enough people were using it, so they can’t keep the half-hourly service going.
But don’t worry, peak and school-time buses will stay the same. The X3 will still run every hour but will take a new route to Dunkirk and Boughton, plus Upper and Lower Harbledown.
They’re also adjusting bus times to fit in with the new M2 junction 5 improvements at Stockbury. And remember, these changes come right after the ticket fare hike that started on January 1.
Speaking of fares, single ticket prices are going up from £2 to £3. They’ve also decided to get rid of return tickets, saying that two single tickets will usually be a better deal for round trips.
The ‘Kid for a Quid’ deal is changing too. Now, kids can only use the £1 fare for one single journey instead of unlimited travel for the day.
Prices for Stagecoach DayRider tickets are up from £5.70 to £6, and seven-day MegaRider tickets have jumped by £4, now costing £23.40. Plus, they’ve removed the 28-day MegaRider tickets for Dover, Deal, and Canterbury, Whitstable, and Herne Bay, which used to cost £90.10.
Instead, passengers can opt for the South East region MegaRider, which has also seen a price increase from £116.20 to £125.80 as of January 1. Stagecoach has a bunch of other timetable changes for key routes in Kent, and you can find all the details below.
