Increase to Bus Stop Suspension Charges

Published on: 2 Oct, 2024
Updated on: 4 Oct, 2024

Sign for a bus stop suspended while development work takes place. Photo: Emily Dalton

By Emily Dalton

local democracy reporter

Charges for suspending bus stops will increase from October onwards to encourage shorter interruptions and reduce the inconvenience to passengers.

It is hoped that the move will deter companies from suspending bus stops for an extra day when it is not needed.

Bus stops can be suspended when a utility company (like gas, water or electric) needs to do work around a bus stop. SCC charges a fee for the disruption to the service.

Since 2017, utility workers would pay £150 for suspending a bus stop per day for a maximum of two days (£300 overall). But Surrey County Council have agreed to bump up the costs to £175 per day for a max. of three days (£525) starting from October 2024.

The report reads that there was a “high number” of three-day suspensions from April 2023 in comparison to two and four days. It adds it could be workers adding an extra day for “comfort” as there is currently no additional cost for day three.

A new charge of £600 per stop per day has been introduced to “act as a deterrent” if works take place at any bus stop without prior authorisation by SCC. Officers explained that sometimes utility companies do not alert SCC if they are working on the highways or at bus stops and there is no current incentive to do so.

“You can imagine the inconvenience to passengers to turn up there and therefore can’t go shopping and can’t go to appointments,” officer Valerie Sexton said in a SCC Highways, Transport and Economic Growth meeting on September 24. People with mobility issues, disabilities or those who are pregnant or travelling with young children can particularly be affected by sudden bus stop closures, the report noted.

Unknown works will be identified and reported by four so-called “Infrastructure Inspectors” travelling around the county, along with bus operators and residents, according to SCC documents. The inspectors also put signs up when bus stops are not in use and alert passengers to the nearest available stop.

Additional bus stop suspensions and works have required the council to increase the number of Inspectors from two to four, the report states. Increasing the fees will help recover the costs of the additional inspectors and support ongoing costs with delivering the local bus network.