Harlow Conservatives welcome news of improved bus services in the town
News / Fri 11th Apr 2025 at 03:57am
HARLOW’S Conservative group have welcomed news that the town’s bus service is to be improved, following lobbying from Harlow Council.
New routes include a weekday service connecting Staple Tye, The Stow and Princess Alexandra Hospital.
There will be upgrades to travel options on Sundays, such as a service between the Bus Station and Latton Bush, and from Harlowbury to Edinburgh Way.
Connections to nearby towns will also be stepped up, with a new Saturday service to Hoddesdon and improvements to routes to Chelmsford.
Conservative Councillor Alastair Gunn commented “These improvements to Harlow’s bus services will be very welcome to the town’s residents and come following intensive lobbying from Harlow Council.
“With work well-underway on the town’s new bus station, funded by the £23.7 million we secured from the previous government’s Towns Fund and part of our programme to rebuild our town centre, the future for Harlow’s bus services looks much brighter than it has done for many years.
“There’s a lot of work still to do, not just to restore Harlow’s bus services but to make the whole town easier to get around for everyone, regardless of how we choose to travel.
“This recent announcement is good news and shows the progress we’re making. We will continue to push to secure investment for Harlow’s future.”
Smiler
2025-04-11 08:52:21
They could do with improving the service on Sundays and Bank Holidays. Local Buses used to run hourly. Then during lockdown they switched to every two hours and never changed back. Hospital and care workers suffer and some older people can no longer attend church.
gary roberts
2025-04-11 08:56:50
So will Potter Street get a local bus service? Will our Essex councillor push for its return? Will our local councillors' push for its return? All questions with currently no answers despite emails to them all asking for it.
Michael beere
2025-04-11 08:58:55
They could do with some new buses. I've never seen such a dilapidated array of buses wandering around the town. Many 20 years old. Go to any other town in England and I bet you can't travel on such a poor bus fleet. Arriva need a kick up the proverbial. Why do they treat Harlow people with such disdain?
Trying to live in Harlow
2025-04-11 10:01:51
Yes smiler totally agree!! Top comment!!
AB
2025-04-11 13:06:24
I've recently used the town's buses a lot. Sadly I've found the apps and info boards to be works of fiction. It's especially bad for people trying to connect two buses on their way to work. Sadly l've had to give up on the buses and return to using the car. Why not timed tickets, say 90 minutesso customers do not have to pay twice for a connecting journey.
Dave
2025-04-11 13:43:13
If I wanted to go from the Moat house to Staple Tye it would take me about 10 minutes for the round trip by car and cost less than £1. By bus, if I had to pay, would cost £12 and take anything up to 2 hours, why should people give up their cars in favour of public transport?
Bob
2025-04-11 17:17:31
Sort the stansted airport route out; Buses don't always run and there late, and you need to fight you way to get on the buses.
Matthew Gillman
2025-04-11 17:25:12
Michael Beere. I'm in my fifties, am pretty dilapidated, and wander around the town!
TonyB
2025-04-11 21:58:30
Buses would run on time if all of the road works were finished. Sadly, the timetable remains a work of fiction before it is published. April 5th 2024, the cones were placed on roundabouts, but nothing has been completed. it's over a year, I'm getting sick of seeing four men, three of them standing around, and only one working. I'm sick because I could do that. I'm an expert at watching other people work. There is still no sign of any traffic lights.
Aaron Smith
2025-04-12 13:29:43
Sadly no mentions of improving cross-boundary services. Harlow used to get buses to both Chingford (505) and Romford (500), why wouldn’t these be useful today? And it’s been good to see Central Connect invest in the 15 to Waltham Cross and 25 to Cheshunt recently but they both need Sunday services and to run later at night. They’ve made a real success of the route to Epping but could go even further. Good to see them want to improve the 59 to Chelmsford, as east to west connections are poor at best around here. Surely a more frequent bus to Hertford would be a good idea today (not just the hourly 724), as well as improving the Sunday services to Stansted Airport? Even put double deckers on the airport service? All of the town routes really should serve the train station and be run by 1 company and have flat hopper fares. Overall, no reason why Harlow can’t have a far better and more coordinated bus service, 7 days a week, maybe even a night route or 2 as the town grows. Bus deregulation is a disaster for Harlow and the neighbouring towns, it’s time to end it.
Robert Johnson
2025-04-12 15:33:48
The Central Connect bus service is great. The Arriva service abysmal. Let Central Connect take over the lot.
Leave a Comment Below:
11 Comments for Harlow Conservatives welcome news of improved bus services in the town: