TWO council candidates are pushing for a cheap bus route to be extended.

Steve Barrey and Rico Wojtulewicz, Conservative candidates for Central Hove, want cheaper CentreFare buses to run to George Street, Hove.

The discount route, run by Brighton and Hove Buses, currently ends at Hove Town Tall, meaning shoppers going to George Street must walk the extra distance or cough up more.

Mr Barrey, a Hove businessman, said it “didn’t make sense” for the route not to go to George Street, considering the road is a shopping hub.

He said: “It’s costing workers and shoppers more money to get here. It’s only 40p extra, but it adds up.

“Right now if someone wants to go to Hove library via CentreFare they have to get off at the town hall and walk all the way there. It doesn’t make sense.

“We want to make George Street both a business and community hub. It’s about putting Hove on the map.”

Currently, anyone buying a single ticket to George Street has to pay £2.60 – 40p more than a CentreFare ticket.

The candidates have now set up a petition asking Brighton and Hove Buses to extend the route.

Mr Wojtulewicz said it would be a “small measure” that would have a “real impact” on Hove.

He said: “We want Brighton and Hove Buses to understand what people want from the city.

“It’s Brighton and Hove Buses after all, so to not have the heart of Hove included in CentreFare isn’t right. It’s not about bringing Brighton down, but lifting Hove up.”

But Martin Harris, managing director of the bus company, said the rise of digital tickets allows passengers to make better savings.

He said: “People can buy tickets in the wider city area for less than the city boundary cash fare using our mobile app.

“Eighty three per cent of passengers already have a ticket before they get on their bus.

“Journeys from George Street to the city centre cost £2 when bought as Multi Trips on the key smartcard.

“That’s 20p less than the CentreFare bought on the bus.”

The petition can be found online at tiny.cc/ExtendCentreFare.