Bus Shelter Rollout Delays dubbed 'Unacceptable' by Eastbourne MP

MP Josh Babarinde OBE has written to the manufacturer to raise his concerns about the delays in installing the new shelters which he says will "leave passengers exposed to the elements while waiting for public transport.

Josh Babarinde  has written to the Chief Executive of Trueform, Jonathan Morley, to raise concerns about delays to the installation of new bus shelters across the town.

Trueform was awarded the contract earlier this year to deliver 164 new bus shelters across Eastbourne. However, to date, only about half of the shelters have been installed.

Slow progress has been put down to delays in the manufacture of some shelters, resulting in a gap between the removal of older shelters and the arrival of their replacements. 

The Lib Dem MP has asked  the company's CEO  what steps are being taken to accelerate the rollout and has pushed to ensure the remaining shelters are installed as quickly as possible. 

The programme is currently scheduled for completion by mid-February 2027.

In a statement, Josh Babarinde MP said:

"I, like many residents across the town, have been shocked by the slow rollout of bus shelters across Eastbourne.

"I am deeply concerned that some Eastbourne residents could face an entire winter without a bus shelter because of these unacceptable delays, leaving passengers exposed to the elements while waiting for public transport.

"I want to see the remaining shelters installed as quickly as possible, with priority given to locations where passenger demand is highest."

Trueform have sent us the following statement Bus Stop Replacement Programme – Eastbourne

We can confirm that Trueform was awarded the contract to supply new bus shelters for Eastbourne and these will be funded by Trueform entirely free of charge to the Council, along with free of charge maintenance & cleaning.

Since award, Trueform have been working closely with representatives from Eastbourne Borough Council regarding this contract and the roll-out of new bus shelters.

Unfortunately, Trueform have had no input or control over the timing of the removal of existing bus shelters.  This was undertaken by another contractor, is completely independent of Trueform and not part of Trueform's contract.

There was a lead time to manufacture and commence installation of the new shelters, which are custom manufactured in the UK, specifically to Eastbourne Borough Council's requirements.  There is a programme for completion of all shelters by mid-February 2027.  This is fully in accordance with the programme agreed with the Council.

Please accept our assurances that this is being treated with the utmost priority and we are taking all steps to ensure that the new shelters are installed as quickly as possible.  This includes fast tracking the manufacture and adding additional installation teams and resources to the installation activities.

We are liaising closely with the Council to prioritise the installation of shelters at high demand locations. We understand your concerns and are progressing these works as quickly as possible.

The new shelters are sustainably produced and will provide an improved waiting environment for Eastbourne residents.

We are aware that there has been some inconvenience to bus passengers, whilst the old contractor has removed their shelters. We reiterate that this was entirely outside our control and we are focused and committed to the installation of new shelters as quickly as possible to minimise inconvenience to Eastbourne residents.