Since October 2022, the #477 bus has not stopped at Darent Valley Hospital and Bluewater, and many of you have been in touch with me to see what we can do to reinstate these stops.
Since then I, along with Swanley and Hextable Kent County Council Councillor Perry Cole and Swanley Town Council leader Michael Horwood, have consistently raised the issue with Arriva Buses. And following our most recent meeting, I am absolutely delighted they have agreed to commence a 6-month trial of the stops at both Darent Valley Hospital and Bluewater (during off-peak hours), in order to gauge demand.
They will also carry out timetable changes to make the existing service more reliable.
I am so very grateful to Arriva for listening to us, and for the people of Swanley and surrounding villages for supporting with the campaign.
As soon as I have more information regarding a starting date, I will let you know. But please remember this is a trial, and for the service to be made permanent we need to ensure the service is used - - otherwise we risk losing it again.
