Buses & coaches

With such different handling characteristics articulated buses require even experienced drivers to have additional training. Brighton & Hove's fleet of 18, acquired when London's Mayor kicked them out of the capital, operate the high frequency 25 route, running from Hove, through Brighton city centre and out to the University campus at Falmer. Some journeys extend to Portslade. A timetable can be found at www.buses.co.uk/travel/service.aspx?serviceid=1168 So this is not their usual stamping ground, but a quiet area on the outskirts of the B&H operation. A Citaro is outposted to their Newhaven depot for these training sessions.

Seaford & District is a small local bus company with a variety of second-hand buses and coaches. It hasn't acquired any regular bus routes. I recently saw an Eastbourne open-top sight-seeing service in their colours, but most of its activity seems to be school services, regular and one-offs, and rail replacement buses. In the depot they share in Newhaven, there are a couple of bendy-buses in their livery. Although the Citaro bendies are used by Brighton & Hove Buses on their route 25 out to the University at Falmer, it is not clear what the Seaford company's pair could be used on. Many of the local roads are too narrow, windy or hilly for articulated buses to work safely.

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Few people ventured as far as the pier on this wet and misty day.