I assume that the park and drive from Withdean to the centre and back is intended as a benefit for tourists and a contributor to the Brighton economy.

My experience recently is likely to have the opposite effect. In my view tourists coming to Brighton for the day will not want to waste two hours plus waiting for and sitting in the Brighton and Hove buses.

The service is well signposted but the bus is no longer in the park area. Fortunately someone told me that a bus was on the road outside the park. I asked the driver the cost of the ride and he asked me where I wanted to go. I thought this strange as I assumed it was park and drive. I was soon to find out that it was the No 27 bus which takes a scenic route up hills and down dales with frequent stops to collect passengers, some of whom on my journey disputed payment so further delaying our arrival.

It took almost an unconscionable time to reach the aquarium. Even worse, the bus back to Withdean services was cancelled so we had to wait 30 minutes plus and the journey back to Withdean was about 50 minutes.

Trying to be helpful to Brighton I decided to give feedback.

I composed a letter but never got a reply. So I tried again, and again did not get a reply to that second letter. So I left a voicemail and again they did not get back to me.

I also contacted customer services several times and was told that my complaint could not be answered at their level.

I thought that it would be helpful to the bus company to give customer feedback as my party were not the only people complaining about the service.

Obviously people coming to Brighton from a distance away do not want to spend hours with the bus company both waiting and on scenic drives. Two visitors came from Leamington Spa.

We were told that the park and drive service at Weymouth and Cambridge is a direct route to their centres at a much lower price.

Brian O’Connor
Ellesmere Road
Weybridge
Surrey