Published 10th August 2020

The hours of use for concessionary bus passes in Southend-on-Sea will return to normal on Tuesday 1st September 2020.

In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, Southend Council’s Labour-led administration extended the hours of operation for local bus passes from off-peak times only to 24 hours. This was to help people make use of shops’ and others businesses’ early hours opening for high-risk groups.

With businesses and shops now almost fully reopen, and schools preparing for a September return, social distancing requirements on bus services mean that during the peak morning travel period there will be additional pressure on bus capacity for school children and workers.

As a result, the Council has agreed with bus operators that the times of operation for Southend-on-Sea concessionary bus passes will return to normal hours from Tuesday 1st September – 9am to midnight on weekdays and all times on weekends and public holidays.

If you are a pass holder and want to travel outside of these hours, you will need to pay the full fare for your journey from that date.

All bus passengers are asked to note that bus timetables are likely to continue to change over the coming weeks. Please check the bus operator’s website, social media or phone apps  before starting your journey to make sure the bus services you need will be running .