The bus service connecting Halesworth and Bungay with Norwich has already been severely reduced — and the latest information suggests that we could lose the service altogether after March 2027.

The changes aren't simply about fewer buses. Journey times have also increased dramatically. A journey between Halesworth and Norwich that previously took around 60 minutes can now take more than 90 minutes each way.

For anyone travelling to work, education, hospital appointments or other essential services in Norwich, that is a significant increase in travelling time — potentially adding more than an hour to a return journey.

And now there is a very real concern that the service could disappear altogether.

Suffolk County Council has confirmed that the route was not carrying enough passengers to cover its operating costs. Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils are currently providing £103,000 each to support the reduced service until the end of March.

The council has also stated that if passenger numbers do not increase, continued support after March may not be justifiable and First Bus may decide to remove the service.

That creates a serious question: how can passenger numbers be expected to increase when the service has become less frequent and journeys have become substantially longer?

This is about more than a timetable change
For Halesworth and Bungay residents, the bus is an important connection to Norwich for:

• Work and employment;
• Schools, colleges and other education;
• Hospital and medical appointments;
• Shopping and banking;
• Cultural and social activities; and
• People who don't drive or don't have access to a car.

Halesworth is particularly dependent on public transport for access to healthcare. Local councillors have highlighted that Halesworth is the furthest town from its general hospital in the country, making reliable and reasonably efficient public transport particularly important.

And residents have also raised concerns about the reliability and condition of the service, including buses that have reportedly failed to turn up and vehicles that have been poorly maintained or dirty. If passengers cannot rely on a service — or face a journey of more than 90 minutes where it previously took around an hour — it is understandable that some people will look for alternatives.

That makes the threat of withdrawal particularly concerning.

Reducing the service, making journeys significantly longer, and then judging its viability by passenger numbers risks creating a cycle in which a service becomes progressively less useful and therefore progressively less used.

We are asking Suffolk County Council, Norfolk County Council and First Bus to:
1. Protect the Halesworth–Bungay–Norwich service beyond March 2027.

2. Properly consult the communities affected before any further reduction or withdrawal.

3. Work with residents, businesses, schools, healthcare providers and community groups to identify ways of increasing passenger numbers.

4. Look at the impact of the increased journey times on passenger use and consider whether the current timetable is actually providing a viable alternative to the car.

5. Address concerns about reliability and the quality of the service so that passengers can have confidence in using it.

This community needs a bus service that people can actually rely on — not one that gradually becomes so infrequent and time-consuming that its eventual withdrawal becomes inevitable.

Please sign and share this petition if you rely on, value or want to protect the bus connection between Halesworth, Bungay and Norwich.