The service may not have been the busiest, Peter, though it serves a holiday park at its western end and the school hols. are only just beginning. Thanet sent its spare open topper 17529 to cover July 3/4 & 10/11, but a shortage of bus drivers is genuine with service cancellations across the network at present.

How well was this service patronised, I would have thought if loading were good then a replacement vehicle could have been found from somewhere within the group, Stagecoach South West have done it in Devon by hiring from Cambridge.

Stagecoach South East (East Kent) has cancelled operation of its Hastings open top route 66 due to 'a poorly bus and a shortage of bus drivers'. :-(

https://www.stagecoachbus.com/service-updates/serviceupdatesarticle?SituationId=ID-16/07/2021-12:05:57:766

T.