Anger over sudden cut of Arriva 497 school bus route from Ebbsfleet Academy, Swanscombe, to Temple Hill, Dartford

Parents and councillors have slammed a travel company’s decision to axe a “vital” school bus route.

Arriva has announced it will be cancelling its 497 service from Ebbsfleet Academy, in Swanscombe, to Temple Hill, in Dartford, from June 1.

In a letter, the business development manager for Arriva Southern Counties, Mark Christie, said it was “due to low passenger numbers”.

However, parents and ward councillors for Swanscombe and Ebbsfleet have branded the decision “incredibly short-sighted” and “hugely disappointing”.

It comes as Kent County Council (KCC) hikes the prices of its school bus pass scheme from £120 to £135 for subsidised tickets, and from £550 to £580 for the full rate.

Lucy Wright’s daughter is in Year 7 at Ebbsfleet Academy and uses the bus every day to get to and from the school in Southfleet Road.

The 37-year-old told KentOnline: “It has come out of the blue, even the school said it was not given any warning, an email just dropped in.

“It does not make sense, and the reasoning sounds flippant. We have been told that it is not well used, but it is always full.

“Parents are banking on that bus and will be the reason many applied for the school because there is this service.

“I do not know what we are going to do next term. It is going to be a nightmare.

“Everyone is shocked, and I think a lot of people are very surprised that it has been pulled. It is such an embedded bus route in the area.

“A lot of people rely on this. It is really not fair, and it is a very big shame because it is such a vital service.”

Arriva has informed parents that following the removal of the 497 school coach, their children can use the 480 bus instead, which goes from Gravesend to Temple Hill, passing through Ebbsfleet, Swanscombe and Greenhithe.

However, Lucy, who lives in Greenhithe, questioned how the already busy service will cope with an influx of schoolchildren who usually fill one vehicle.

She added: “I do not see how this is going to work. They should keep it, and I am hoping and praying it will stay, especially for the new school intake.”

Cllr Claire Pearce (Lab), who represents Swanscombe, agreed, saying that as a regular bus user, it is a “nightmare” to ride the 480 service during school times because it is already “packed”.

She said: “Taking away the 497 is going to make the problem so much worse.

“I am incredibly worried that we are going to be facing a situation where children will not be able to get to school on time, through no fault of their own, because they will end up waiting until they can actually get on a bus.”

The Labour councillor also raised concerns over pupils using the 480 bus as they would need to get off at the Ackers Drive stop and walk to school along an “incredibly busy” road.

She added: “Parents are being asked to pay a hefty £400 a year to KCC for bus passes, so cutting routes such as the 497, which is well used, seems to be incredibly short-sighted.

“In the Swanscombe, Greenhithe and Ebbsfleet area, we have already suffered over the last two years from cuts and re-routed bus services due to the closure of Galley Hill, making it harder for residents to get where they actually need to go.

“Arriva needs to have a rethink about all of the proposed cuts, but with the 497, it really needs to stop putting its profits before pupils and parents.”

Fellow party member Cllr Jonathon Hawkes, who represents Ebbsfleet, has also hit out at the decision.

The shadow leader of Dartford council said: “I am deeply concerned about it. Arriva’s default answer is that it is a demand-led decision, but that route is very busy.

“This decision also has further implications. If you do not have a good quality bus service and links to schools, we will instead have more cars, roads being clogged up, and dangerous parking.

“Children need to go to school, so if they cannot get there by bus or on foot, they will go by car. Congestion is already a massive problem on that road, this will make it worse.

“It is not the right decision. I want KCC to step in to make sure there is a bus service to take children to school, that is the very least they should expect.”

Also representing Ebbsfleet ward, Conservative Cllr Danny Nicklen has called for a reduction in bus pass fees and is seeking an extension of service until the end of the academic year.

He said: “My concern is that parents have been asked to pay for the yearly bus pass and are not getting the service, it is not on.

“You cannot change the rules of the game while the game is being played. It leaves parents and their children in a difficult situation. It is hugely disappointing.

“Arriva has made a lot of changes, but they do owe a responsibility to children and parents who are relying on them to get to school.”

Ebbsfleet Academy, which is run by the Leigh Academies Trust, confirmed it was not consulted in the decision and has no control over bus provision.

However, a spokesperson said it is working with KCC and local partners to understand what alternatives are available and support families that are affected.

They added: “We recognise the concern this has caused for families and understand that many have already purchased annual passes through KCC.

“Our priority is maintaining attendance and punctuality, and we will continue to advocate for a practical solution that supports our students’ access to education.”

As well as disbanding the 497 bus, the travel company is also making changes to two other routes as of June 1.

The 477 service between Orpington and Dartford will no longer journey beyond Dartford Home Gardens.

While the 483 service from Gravesend to Bluewater Shopping Centre will be rerouted, not serving Morrisons in Coldharbour Road, Northfleet, and Ebbsfleet International.

However, the bus will now stop at Ebbsfleet Green Primary School and Talbot Lane, in Ebbsfleet.

A spokesperson from Arriva South said: “We know this will be disappointing news for some families and we haven’t taken the decision to withdraw the 497 lightly. Unfortunately, the number of students using the service has declined significantly over recent years and with only around 35 children now travelling each day, it’s no longer financially viable to continue operating.

“In terms of the timing, the change aligns with wider adjustments to the network, and the losses on the 497 were so substantial that we simply couldn’t afford to carry them any longer.

“As for the 483, the route will no longer serve Morrisons or Ebbsfleet Station due to low usage and the significant delays caused by diverting to those stops. Instead, the service will now run via Springhead Park — a much quicker and more reliable route — and Ebbsfleet Green, which is a growing residential area.

“This change will improve connections for residents of Ebbsfleet Green, offering direct links to Gravesend and Bluewater up to every 30 minutes.

“The extension to the 477 was introduced on a trial basis. That trial has now concluded and unfortunately, uptake was not sufficient to justify continuing it.

“We understand these changes may cause inconvenience for some passengers and we’ll continue to support customers in finding the best alternative travel options available.”

A spokesperson for KCC added: “We understand the frustration passengers have about the loss of these services.

“These are changes by Arriva and related to the financial challenges in sustaining services due to increased operating costs.

“KCC has no involvement with these services and has not been involved with this decision."