It's all change on the buses. Sheppey is to get a new coach company from Monday, July 12.

Sittingbourne firm Chalkwell is taking over the 360, 361 and 367 routes which are being given up by Arriva. The familiar light blue buses will switch to red ones.

The new service will also get a new name. It will be known as Island Buses. And in a nod to the past, the third-generation family-run firm which launched in Sheerness in 1931 as Island Coaches, is to reintroduce the 362.

Chalkwell will also take on school buses serving the Oasis Academy. It already runs daily services from Sheppey to Sittingbourne schools plus services between Sittingbourne and Medway.

Managing director Roland Eglinton admitted: "Putting the new timetable together has not been easy. It's been a bit of a challenge. We spent a lot of time studying Arriva's routes to see what works and what doesn't. There had been complaints that some buses missed train connections so we have tried to solve that.

"We have made a number of tweaks but we didn't want to make too many changes in one go."

He warned that connecting with the remaining Arriva 334 service to Sittingbourne and Maidstone was "out of my control" as no one could guarantee times of vehicles which have to use the A249.

The firm is reintroducing printed timetables dropped by Arriva in favour of a smart-phone app and is looking for outlets to stock them.

Mr Eglinton said: "We believe customers should have access to printed information which is easy to understand. Our buses take cash, contactless payments and travel passes."

He added: "Buses should be frequent and reliable. They don't need to be too big during the day when passengers numbers are low but they must be large enough for school runs. They must also cope with seasonal traffic. We know Sheppey gets busier during the summer. We are also aware that new developments will need serving."

His team has checked visiting hours at the Island's prisons and clinic times at Sheppey Community Hospital. He said: "We want buses to run when they are needed. Quite a few were running almost empty."

The new fares will be £4.50 a day (£3 for children and teenagers aged 11 to 19). Arriva's day fare is £4.80. Chalkwell accepts concessionary bus passes, KCC Travel Saver and 16+ passes. Mr Eglinton said: "I think the prices are fair but these routes have to be commercially sound. We can't afford to subsidise them. We hope that by making the service more reliable more people will use them which will allow us to plough money back into providing more services."

The main change is the 367 will no longer stop at The Leas. Mr Eglinton said: "Using Wards Hill makes the service quicker and also easier on the buses. Speed humps along The Leas and Seaside Avenue take their toll on the vehicles."

West Minster also gets its own dedicated shuttle service. Buses will no longer use Brielle Way.

He said buses were more environmentally friendly than cars. "A new bus carrying 50 passengers is less polluting than a diesel car carrying four. A fully-loaded bus can take 75 cars off the road," he said.

For more details visit www.island-buses.co.uk

What bus goes where

All routes will start and finish at Tesco, Sheerness.

360 - Hourly service Monday to Saturday linking Leysdown, Warden Bay, Eastchurch and Minster with Sheerness via Sheppey Community Hospital. It will deliver 130 pupils to the Oasis Academy's Minster campus and call at Eastchurch prisons on Sunday.

367 - Less frequent service linking Warden Point, Eastchurch, Brambledown and Minster with Sheerness via Sheppey Community Hospital, Scocles Road and the coast road (Eastchurch prisons Monday to Saturday). School journeys will drop pupils off at Coronation Road and not go into the Oasis Academy grounds at Sheerness. Buses will go via Wards Hill and not The Leas.

361 - Hourly service linking Sheerness to Queenborough and Rushenden calling at Morrisons at Neats Court Retail Park via Halfway instead of Brielle Way. It will double the number of buses running between Sheerness and Halfway.

362 - Half-hourly service linking Sheerness with West Minster, Queensway and St George's Avenue. Buses will no longer stop at Edenbridge Drive, passengers to use Hawthorn Avenue instead. Replaces part of the 360 and 361 services.

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