A summer bus service taking passengers across Folkestone has relaunched – but customers now have to pay £1 each way to use it.
The ‘Reach the Beach’ scheme started on Saturday (July 19) and will last throughout the summer holidays until Saturday, August 30.
Run by operator Crosskeys, the seven-days-a-week service runs between Folkestone West station and the harbour, calling at four other stops on the way.
The scheme, which was launched last year, was initially free of charge.
About £25,000 of funding from the government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) allocation to Kent County Council (KCC) was used to pay for the project.
However, passengers are now being charged £1 each way this year.
A spokesman for Kent County Council (KC) said: “The Reach the Beach service in Folkestone was launched last year with free travel as part of its introduction to help raise awareness and encourage uptake.
“This year, a £1 fare has been introduced to help support the ongoing delivery of the service while still offering excellent value for passengers.
“The fare remains significantly lower than standard adult bus fares and the government’s fare cap, and helps us manage our Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding more sustainably.
“At this stage, the total cost of running the service is not yet known as it will depend on passenger usage and the contribution from the £1 fares.
“Our aim is to move towards a model where services like this can continue to operate even without BSIP funding in the future.”
Buses leave Folkestone West station half-hourly from 10.15am, with the last bus returning from Folkestone Harbour at 7.45pm.
People can also ‘hop on’ and ‘hop off’ to visit Folkestone Central railway station, The Cube in Tontine Street and The Old High Street throughout the day.
The route, which will take a maximum of 10 minutes, is not running between 1pm and 2pm each day.
The service remains free for under-16s.
