Transforming Our Bus Services – Share Your Views
I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to my campaign for investment to improve bus services in our area.
The Government has listened, and we have secured a massive 2000% increase in investment to improve Cumbria’s buses.
That amount of money is transformational and I want to make sure that local residents are involved in deciding how that money is spent. I want to hear from you if there is an existing bus route that you would like to see improved, or a new bus route you would like to see added.
I will make sure that your views are heard by Westmorland & Furness and Cumberland Council’s as they decide where to use this massive new investment.
This is important because these services are the lifeblood for our communities. They are a driver for economic growth, keep people connected, and open up all kinds of opportunities for people.
Unfortunately, under the last Government, bus services in England’s regions outside London virtually collapsed. They were starved of funding – with just £800,000 provided by central Government for bus improvements in the whole of Cumbria in 2023/24.
We lost over 50% of our bus services in Cumbria and almost 300 million fewer miles driven by buses across the UK every year since 2010.
That had a huge impact on our communities and it is one of the issues that gets raised with me regularly.
That is why I am so pleased that we have secured this investment, increasing the council’s funding has gone up from £800,000 to £19m this year! Then over the next four years they will be getting a long term settlement worth over £28m to keep the progress going.
On top of the funding, the Government are supporting Westmorland and Furness and Cumberland Council to be part of a national franchising pilot so we can lead the way in taking control of our bus network and transforming services to work for everyone.
With this money, and these reforms, we have the chance to transform local services. Reversing years of decline to provide passengers with lower fares, more frequent and reliable services, and safer journeys.
Please share your views on the improvements you would like to see below, and I will keep you updated on progress and other ways that you get get involved.
Better Buses
The Government is providing a huge increase in funding to improve Cumbria's bus services. We're getting £19m this year, up from £800,000. That amount of money is transformational and I want to make sure that local residents are involved in deciding how that money is spent.
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