Communities across the Westmorland and Furness council area will see changes to Bus timetables from the 31st of March with some new services and more buses on some routes in and around Penrith.
A new 105 Bus service will provide up to seven
journeys a day, Mondays to Saturdays, between Penrith and Greystoke.
Stagecoach will also run two journeys a day on the 106
route, between Penrith and Shap, Monday to Saturday. This service is running in
addition to the Community backed 106 Bus that currently operates twice a week
between Penrith and Kendal and has celebrated its 10th anniversary this year.
Stagecoach is also operating additional morning and late
afternoon peak-time journeys in Penrith on the 646 town service and an
afternoon school bus on route 2 from North Lakes School a replacement for
the afternoon school journey withdrawn in July 2023.
North Lakes School Bus Timetable
The council had hoped to provide more journeys to the
646 town service but has said “this did not prove possible”.
As part of the normal Stagecoach Summer network there will
be the re-introduction of the commercially provided weekend service 509 to
Lowther Castle and also the 508 service to Windermere via
Patterdale services.
The 563 Bus between Penrith and Kirkby Stephen will also see
an improved service operating on the route that has been operated by a
volunteer community bus group since previously council funded service was
withdrawn, the Western Dales Community Bus Service Limited a registered charity
operating under a section 22 permit, stepped in to offer a limited alternative
service.
Western Dales relies wholly on volunteer drivers to provide
its service. The council increased service could not be delivered solely by
Western Dales.
The council has said “A proposal was put to Western Dales by
Westmorland and Furness Council to withdraw the two day a week service on their
lucrative Kirkby Stephen to Penrith route, to allow that to be run exclusively
by a single operator under a Council contract.”
Western Dales was concerned about the impact the new council
funded service would have on its revenue which is necessary for the volunteer
run charity to cover its operating costs (fuel; maintenance; insurance; vehicle
replacement) and which might ultimately affect its ability to provide even the
limited services connecting rural communities.
The expected impact of a commercial operator competing on
the route against Western Dales operation,
Is forecast to see a drop in revenue for Western Dales of
£7,195 for the year.
As a result of the concerns Westmorland and Furness Council
has been forced to agree a “revenue guarantee” grant agreement with Western
Dales
Community Bus Service Limited, for an initial term of 12
months to offset any revenue impact to the charity by the council funded
commercial service operated by Stagecoach.
The council said “Providing a revenue guarantee is likely to
help ensure the future of Western Dales, who may be required on the routes
again if Government funding is reduced / withdrawn and the Council does
not have sufficient funds of its own to maintain all services.”
Concerns have also been raised over the potential impact the
council funded service might have on the 106 bus between Penrith and Kendal
that has for the last decade since commercial service ended on the route been
funded by parish councils along the route and donations from members of the
community.
Improvements to the 2, 105, 106, 563 and 646 bus services
have been funded with Government funding by Westmorland and Furness Council.
Westmorland and Furness Council received the £1.7 million of
Bus Service Improvement Plan Plus (BSIP+) funding from the Department for
Transport to support bus services across the area for up to one year.
The short-term funding aims to create a commercially viable
network of self-sustaining bus routes.
Cllr John Murray, Cabinet Member for Transport and
Regulatory Services said:
“This £1.7 million investment will deliver vital connections
for residents and visitors, addressing key priorities identified by our
communities. These significant changes reflect what people have told us they
need and will make a real difference to the lives of residents here, many of
which rely on buses to access key services and employment.
“It’s important to understand the Bus Service Improvement
Plan Plus funding from the Department for Transport provides short-term support
for these services. It is therefore absolutely vital that, when these routes
launch, our residents and visitors choose bus when they can to make these
services sustainable for operators to continue running in the future.”
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