Minutes from the Swale Local Bus Forum, held in July 2026, revealed that Kent County Council has allocated £7 million to support existing bus services and a further £2.5 million for the Kent Travel Saver scheme in 2026/27, alongside a range of local improvements in Swale.

Kent County Council (KCC) has allocated £7 million in revenue funding to support existing bus services across the county in 2026/27, with a further £2.5 million committed to the Kent Travel Saver scheme, according to minutes from the Swale Local Bus Forum meeting held on 21 July 2026.

Local improvements in Swale

The forum heard that a new bus shelter near the Sheerness War Memorial is to be funded through the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) programme, subject to costs, following a positive meeting between parties. A quotation from Bauer Media was being awaited at the time of the meeting. The opposite bus stop was also identified as a potential location for a cantilever shelter, also via BSIP funding.

Real-time information screens have been installed across the county and were awaiting commissioning at the time of the meeting. QR code plates linking to a bus information portal have also been installed at bus stops across Kent. The Swale shelter grant award had been paid.

Route 360 Sunday service and free travel promotion

A Sunday service on Route 360 was introduced throughout the summer holidays with a flat fare of £2. The forum was told the service would operate for an initial six-week period, with passenger usage data to be shared with local councillors.

A summer promotion offering free bus travel to the Kent County Show from Maidstone and Sittingbourne generated approximately 800 passenger journeys over three days, which KCC described as successful. KCC said it would circulate Sittingbourne-specific data to the forum.

Further plans under consideration

KCC told the forum that a further round of shelter grant funding was likely to be launched during the year, alongside another round of the Community Transport Scheme. Vehicle grants were also being considered. Early-stage discussions were said to be underway regarding a bus priority signalling project.

A bus accessibility survey was described as due to launch shortly to establish a baseline and inform future investment priorities. KCC also noted that changes to Enhanced Partnerships would be required to meet new legislative requirements under the Bus Services Act, resulting in a full statutory consultation process.

Concerns were raised at the meeting about overcrowding on Route 347, though Chalkwell’s representative advised that a recent review of the service had not identified overcrowding as an issue.

Sources

Top image: illustrative, computer-generated. Illustrative AI-generated image. This is not a photograph of any real bus stop or location in Swale or Kent.