FOR MANY people in the Sevenoaks district who are reliant on buses, it is easier to get to London than Sevenoaks.

That is the stark truth of the postcode lottery of the bus network.

Towns and villages, such as Halstead, Knockholt and Westerham, benefit from having services provided by Transport for London (TfL). They enjoy more frequent buses – and ones that run later into the evening.

For Westerham residents hoping to travel the six miles to Sevenoaks, there is just one bus an hour, during the day. But if they want to go to Biggin Hill, four miles away, or Bromley, 18 miles down the road, there are two buses each hour.

Westerham parish councillor Linda Rodgers said the bus service to Sevenoaks needs to be more like the one to Bromley and run twice an hour and later into the evening.

She said: "Considering we're supposed to be part of Sevenoaks district, we're not really connected to it.

"It means that if people come in on the train (to Sevenoaks), they can't get to Westerham to see the attractions here, and we can't go up to London in the evening as the last bus goes from Sevenoaks at 7pm.

"I think it's also crucial in this day and age, when they've taken away any free parking in Sevenoaks. People want to go there to eat, to shop or to work or to catch a train. We don't have a train station here so we have to catch one somewhere."

In other places which have both London and Kent buses, residents say they have noticed less of a difference between the services.

Halstead Parish Council chairman David Taylor said: "I think we're quite lucky up here as the 402 links all the major places, such as Tunbridge Wells, Bromley and Sevenoaks and the R10 gets us into Orpington, which I suppose is the nearest shopping place."

Areas served by TfL also have a better service to other places within the capital than the one provided between towns in Kent. Between Biggin Hill, with a population of around 11,000, and its nearest main town, Bromley, there are up to four buses an hour, with a service until midnight Monday to Sunday.

In comparison, the 20,000 people who live in Sevenoaks have to make do with just two buses an hour to nearby Tunbridge Wells, running until 8pm Monday to Saturday, with just one bus every two hours on a Sunday. TfL spokeswoman Victoria Morley said: "If we decide to run a bus service, it's very much decided on the usage. We look at the demand in the area. The passenger numbers and demand dictates the level of bus service. We try to provide as comprehensive service as possible while providing value for money for taxpayers and fare payers.

"With current routes, there are surveys done on usage and demand. If usage had dropped off, we might look to modify the frequency of buses. Conversely if it's dramatically increased, we'd look to put on extra services."

Referring to small villages such as Cudham, which has two bus routes with three buses every two hours to Orpington, and Downe, which benefits from hourly services to Bromley and Orpington, she said: "The demand justifies that level of service."

Many of the smaller villages in Sevenoaks have just one route, with buses that run less often than once an hour, while some, such as South Darenth, Horton Kirby and Ide Hill have just a few buses a week.

Bus services in London are subsidised with funds from the Greater London Authority.

Under 16s who live on a bus route administered by TfL can apply for Oyster photocards which will allow them to travel free on London buses.

To find out more about bus services in London or to apply for a children's Oyster photocard you can visit the TfL website via a link at www.thisiskent.co.uk/links