Village residents have shared their fears that they could lose a coastal bus service due to issues caused by level crossing barriers.

The Stagecoach 700 service runs from Brighton to Wick and includes stops in Worthing, Goring-by-Sea and East Preston.

However, the bus operator is reviewing its route through East Preston due to level crossing barrier obstructions making buses late.

Residents of East Preston are concerned they could lose access to the service, with some calling it “a vital service to so many in the village who do not drive” and a “lifeline”.

Read more: Van crashes into level crossing barrier in East Preston

Margaret Graham, who lives in the village, said the bus was vital for the community. 

Margaret, 77, said: "There are many of us older and/or disabled residents of East Preston who are not car drivers and rely on the 700 for regular transport, for our GP and hospital appointments for example, plus shopping in Rustington and Littlehampton, or going further afield to Worthing, Brighton etc - visiting family, attending exercise classes, church and social clubs.

"In short - for having a life outside of our down-sized homes. Yes, there are taxis, but many can't afford to use them on a regular basis. Our bus passes are a blessing and well used.

"There remains a fear of becoming isolated if bus times are changed to, say, one per hour or, worst of all, stopped from running through the village."

One man said: “To remove the service from the village entirely would be utterly irresponsible.

"There are many retirement complexes within the village with residents who are entirely reliant on the 700 for transport and who do not have sufficient mobility to go further afield in search of a bus stop.

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“Besides which, reliable public transport for isolated communities is part of government environmental policy.

“I could understand a reduction of the service to maybe two per hour through the village with two further services bypassing it along the main road and over the bridge.

“That would minimise delays for passengers on other parts of the route, though in my experience the delays often start between Brighton and Worthing on the westbound service.”

Others agreed that level-crossing barriers created disruption in the area and said it was “so stressful” travelling out of the village.

A spokeswoman for Stagecoach said: "We've no immediate plans to change our service 700 through East Preston. However, we are concerned about the impact that level-crossing downtime is having on the punctuality of our service.

“We run buses every 12 minutes in each direction across Roundstone crossing and unfortunately, there is no clear path between trains which allows us to ensure our timetable is reliable.

“We're likely to make punctuality improvements to service 700 this winter and will advise customers at the earliest opportunity about any changes to the route and timetable."