BUS passengers have hit out at the poor service on route 401, which they say is plagued by bewildered bus drivers, terrible timekeeping and increasing prices.

Regular riders on the bus route have said drivers appear at time to have no idea where they are going, with one Westerham mother fearing the tendency for buses to stop at the wrong place is putting children at risk.

Lynda Morgan said the 7.22am service which takes pupils to schools in Tonbridge is supposed to start outside San Bas before turning down London Road to head back to the A25 via Beggars Lane but instead regularly stops on the Green instead.

She said: "Children have to run across the A25, they're usually panicking about getting the bus. There will eventually be an accident.

"This has been happening for a while. My son is in Year 10 so it has been going on for at least four years.

"My frustration is we tell Arriva this, but they're not taking it seriously.

"There's been times when the children have had to tell the drivers the way to go because they've tried to miss out Chipstead."

She added that when she recently saw a bus trying to start from the Green, the driver and accompanying trainer seemed unaware that there were children waiting at stops on London Road until it was pointed out to them.

Passengers have also complained buses frequently run late, with commuters missing trains and children arriving at school after lessons start.

Gina Gaywood, who lives in Stratton Terrace in Westerham, said she was late for work because the 401 she needed to get to Sevenoaks Station failed to turn up, leaving her to travel into London via Bromley.

She said: "The 401 has made me late twice. I don't want to be late.

"There was a girl on the bus who works in Sevenoaks saying she's had two warnings because she's been 10 minutes late."

Last week she was on a bus that kept breaking down before stopping completely, leaving her to walk for more than an hour from Brasted to Sevenoaks.

Sandra Webb, who lives in Chapmans Road in Sundridge, uses the 401 to get to her job in a shop in Sevenoaks.

She said: "I keep being late for work. My manager's not very pleased.

"I leave my house at 8am and I'm at the bus stop just after 8am and it's after 9.30am when I get to work. It happens about once a week."

She said her return fare had recently jumped from £3.75 to £4.20, with no warning.

Arriva spokesman Richard Lewis said "I am sorry that there has been an instance where the 7.22am bus from Westerham to Tonbridge operated the route around Westerham in the wrong direction.

The driver's Duty Board clearly shows that this journey starts from the bus stop opposite The Green and then runs down London Road to Hartley Road and back to the A25 via Beggar's Lane."

He said drivers' attention had been drawn to the correct route, which differs from the normal daytime service.

Mr Lewis said he was not aware of any incidents with late running buses.

John Todd, spokesman for Kent County Council which sets the fares on the route, said: "We have notices that were provided to all operators with a request that they be displayed on vehicles in advance of the increase.

"We will liaise with Arriva to establish why this didn't happen in this instance."