A NUMBER of bus routes in south Essex will have their services changed.

First Essex has announced the plans, which come into effect on April 20.

The company says the changes are being introduced after it took passenger feedback into consideration.

They include the withdrawal of the 23/23A/23B service in Southchurch and its replacement with an extended 27 service, apart from 9am-3pm Monday to Friday when the route will still exist.

Adrian Jones, managing director at First Essex, said: “We have added extra journeys on some of our popular routes to reflect passenger usage. We have also amended our 25B journey to suit students at Seevic College.

“First is committed to delivering better journeys for life and these changes will help improve punctuality on our routes.”

The changes are:

  • The 21-21A route from Southend to Canvey Newlands will run in Leigh via Hadleigh Road instead of Thames Drive and Leigh station. There will be a revised timetable in early mornings and mid-evenings with more journeys to and from Canvey Newlands. The Sunday service is not being changed.
  • The 27 Southend to Canvey Leigh Beck will be extended on Mondays to Saturdays beyond Southend through to Temple Sutton via Woodgrange Drive, Lifstan Way and Hamstel Road, replacing the current services 23/23A/23B along this section of route. There will also be some minor revisions to the intermediate running times. Two more early morning journeys will be introduced between Hadleigh and Canvey via Benfleet Station, leaving Hadleigh at 0544 and 0559 on Monday to Friday, and 0618 and 0648 on Saturdays. There are no changes to services 27A, 27X and 827.

 

  • The 23-23A-23B Southchurch service will be withdrawn and replaced by the extended 27 service between Southend and Temple Sutton via Woodgrange Drive, Lifstan Way and Hamstel Road. A revised service 23 will still operate on Mondays to Fridays only, between Southend and Hamstel Road via Southchurch Road, up to every 30 minutes between 0900 and 1500.
  • The 25A will mostly terminate at Basildon instead of Rayleigh. Between Wickford and Basildon, there will be extended trips to replace the current journeys provided by service 15A. These extended trips will replace the current journeys provided by service 15A and the five minute Grimston Road/Whitmore Way to Basildon service frequency with service 5.

The Southend to Basildon via Wickford service will become every 15 minutes, representing a doubling of the service between Rayleigh, Little Wheatleys, Shotgate and Wickford.

The schooldays afternoon service 25B journey will be revised to leave Hadleigh at 1612, to pick up students at Seevic College.

  • The 20 Southend to Hullbridge will have its schooldays only journey at 1538 from Bournes Green start at Southend Travel Centre at 1555.

 

  • 24-24A Southend to Southchurch. The Sunday service 24 will be re-routed along full length of Newington Avenue instead of Archer Avenue. There are no changes to service 24A, nor to any of the Monday to Saturday bus times.

 

  • 22 Basildon to Canvey Leigh Beck. On Mondays to Fridays, the 1935 Canvey to Basildon will operate 6 minutes later at 1941.
  • 26 Southend to Hadleigh Depot.  Most journeys which currently terminate at Leigh Church or start from Leigh Rectory Grove will be extended to or from Hadleigh Depot.

The service will be re-routed via Thames Drive and Leigh Station instead of Hadleigh Road, which will instead be served by services 21 and 21A.

The service will also be introduced on Saturdays, operating up to every 30 minutes during the main part of the day.

  • 28 Southend to Basildon. On Mondays to Fridays the 0728 and 0743 Hadleigh to Basildon will instead start at Southend at 0659 and 0706. There will also be some minor revisions to the running time.