Disabled and elderly people celebrate stop to buses with steps

After bus wars along a popular route, Buses Excetera, which runs the 489, has taken over from rival company Sunray Travel, which had run the 479.

Both bus companies had been operating on the same route through Leatherhead and Ashtead to Epsom but Sunray Travel’s service was withdrawn on September 10.

Resident Barry De Boise contacted the Epsom Guardian to say step entrance buses run by Sunray Travel had been leaving residents effectively housebound.

Mr De Boise said: "My reaction to the sudden demise of Sunray Travel on the 479 was one of happiness."

Of Buses Excetera taking over the route, he said: It "is good news for those that rely on it, albeit with a slightly different timetable to that previously on the 479."

Bues Excetera changed its timetable to run more buses from September 12.

Adam Smith, general manager at Buses Excetera, said Sunray Travel had previously been using coaches and buses with steps along the route.

Mr Smith said: "That company has now gone into administration and we have taken over the route on an emergency basis. All our buses are low floor and wheelchair accessible."

In a statement he said: "The enhancements to the route have in effect reinstated journeys at times of the day that the 479 ran but we didn’t and we hope this means commuters and shoppers can still get to their destinations.

"We decided to keep the 479 route number as it has a lot of history in the area, so therefore we have renumbered our 489 journeys between Guildford and Epsom to 479 and the 489 will operate between Bookham and Epsom."

A Surrey County Council spokeswoman said: "The 479 is a "commercial" service, not one we subsidise.

"Buses Excetera which operates commercial service 489 over the same route has stepped in to operate additional journeys.

"Service 479/489 remains commercial except for the two-hourly Sunday service which we are subsidising."

For more information visit: www.busesetc.com.