A BUS company owner has taken it on himself to reconnect towns and villages in the Adur Valley.

Southern Transit Bus Company is trialling a new weekend bus route that will link Shoreham and Horsham Neil Bird, owner of Southern Transit Bus Company, is an Upper Beeding Parish Councillor and feels that places in the Adur Valley have been disconnected since the loss of the Adur Valley train line.

He said: “Since the loss of the rail route, villages like Steyning and Henfield have experienced massive population growth. These places are no longer villages, they’re towns and they’re cut off from one another.”

Mr Bird feels that the number three Southern Transit bus will offer cost-effective travel to link areas in the Adur Valley.

Starting at the Holmbush Centre in Shoreham, the number three bus will follow the route of the Downslink footpath, visiting Bramber, Steyning, Henfield, Partridge Green, West Grinstead and Southwater before terminating at Horsham train station.

He said: “Unlike the old rail link, our bus service will run through the high streets of our towns and villages.”

Two low-floor, wheelchair friendly buses will be running every two hours, stopping at more than 200 bus stops.

The Shoreham car boot market, as well as the Windmill Inn, in Littleworth Lane, will get a new Sunday service.

Mr Bird has not received any funding from the council for this service and is running it as a commercial venture.

A spokeswoman for West Sussex County Council said: “We welcome any scheme that increases access to the local amenities and area for local people.”

The number three Southern Transit bus starts today and will run every weekend until September 7.

For more information, visit www.southerntransit.co.uk Southern Transit received the prestigious Best Bus in the Show award at the Routemaster 60 event in London on Sunday, July 13.