A bus provider has assured customers it will get one of its services back on track after road- works resulted in lengthy delays.

Arriva’s 308 service – which should run every hour between Sevenoaks and Gravesend, serving Borough Green, Vigo and Meopham – has been very late or not turned up for several weeks, according to regular users.

One passenger who gets on at Meopham station said they had to wait for two-and-a-half hours one time and get a train to Gravesend on another.

But Arriva says the service will be back to normal following the conclusion of a three-week road- work project in Seal High Street.

A spokesman said: “The 308’s route has suffered from delays recently due to roadworks. These roadworks started at the beginning of January and have caused delays of up to 45 minutes in both directions. The works, however, were scheduled to finish on Saturday, January 20, and so normal bus services should now resume. We apologise for the interruption to the service and any inconvenience caused.”

Anne Goodman, who gets the bus at least three times a week, is not so convinced. The 80-year-old, from Nursery Road, Meopham, says buses have often been more than an hour late and in one week she knew of seven which had not arrived at all.

She said: “A lot of people rely on this service. It’s a lifeline and we can’t afford to get a taxi into town. The alternative is staying at home all day and that’s not healthy.

“We’ve complained numerous times to Arriva but they just shrug their shoulders, you never get a straight answer from the drivers. Either they say there aren’t enough buses or the roadworks have held them up.”