TWO popular bus routes have been saved.

Brighton and Hove Bus Company’s number 28 and 29 services from Brighton to Tunbridge Wells will continue throughout the day and into the evening.

It was feared the evening services would be axed after East Sussex County Council said it may cut funding to the bus provider.

However, the company has altered the route in order to make it more efficient and is able to run without public money.

Mike Best, Brighton and Hove Bus Company’s commercial director, described it as “good news all round”.

He said: “We have worked with the council to see where we can improve the service and as a result we will be able to continue to run services in the evening.

“There will be very little difference for the customer and I am confident we can continue the service into the future.”

Outside London, transport providers must show that bus routes are commercially viable.

Routes that are not – but provide a needed service – are supplemented by councils.

The local authorities put the routes out to tender and pay private companies to run them.

The evening services on the number 28 and 29 routes between Lewes and Tunbridge Wells are both supplemented by East Sussex County Council.

However, proposals published earlier this year as part of £1.79million of savings, suggested funding to the two routes could be cut.

This would have left places like Lewes, Ringmer and Uckfield without connections to Brighton and Hove and Tunbridge Wells.

Mr Best added: “This positive approach means that with a small number of timetable adjustments to the spacing of evening services on the 28 and 29, we can preserve a good service not only on Monday to Saturday but also on Sunday.

“We are therefore in a position to confirm that from March, we will continue to run evening services currently funded by East Sussex County Council on a commercial basis”.

Mr Best said some changes had to be made to ensure continued running of the services but spoke of little impact on customers.

Routes and stops are set to stay put with minor timetable changes.