Problem - Difficulty in access to jobs within Central Lake District leading to staff shortages

Details

Vacancies in Lake District hospitality industry are difficult to fill due to limited availability of staff in the area and the high costs of accommodation.

Staff are available in other areas, but limited transport is a barrier.

How

Work with Department of Work & Pensions teams, to try to identify where extra transport is needed and how this can be delivered.

Provided new bus services at a fare low enough to make attractive but which will generate sufficient revenue to make the service viable.

Problem - Improved Bus / Rail ticketing

Details

The large visitor attraction of the Lake District puts extreme pressure on a road network, which has limited space to expand. Congestion impacts on the local population and will make the area less attractive to visit.

There are good bus links from many parts of the County into main line stations.

How

Offer a combined bus and rail ticket - with 4 (for weekend visitors) and 7 day bus ticket options.

Problem - Expansion of Rural Mobility Project

Details

Many areas of the County have no bus services and experience shows demand is too low to make one viable, and what has previously been offered is too inflexible to be attractive.

How

Build on knowledge learnt from current pilot schemes to expand into other suitable areas, whilst taking into account existing bus operations.

Problem - Encourage more young people to use buses

Details

Adult fares are charged from the age of 16, but young people are still on no or low incomes, and also about to qualify to learn to drive.

How

Extend child (or a reduced) fares to 21 and explore the expansion of a more nuanced £2 fare cap.

Problem - Introduction of Zero Emission buses

Details

There are currently no zero emission vehicles in Cumberland and some of the typography in rural areas do not suit electric powered vehicles, whilst marginal viability of network

How

Work with operators to identify the right zero emission vehicles for the County and the best places to implement them.

Work with operators to obtain grants to fund the purchase of vehicles and associated infrastructure required.

Problem - Improved quality of vehicles

Details

The bus needs to compete with car to attract people to use them.

How

Invest in better quality seating; onboard wi-fi and charging points, and onboard stop announcements.

Problem - Poor use of school transport vehicles for use

Details

Increases in costs to meet PSVAR legislation and Bus Open Data Service requirements mean using school transport vehicles between school services to offer local bus services is difficult, with operators of high floor coaches providing the best price.

How

Explore offering incentives for operators to use vehicles suitable for local bus services on school services.

Problem - Poor awareness of what is already available

Details

Discounted fares, services, and information, are often available but details are poorly communicated,  especially to non or infrequent users.

How

Find ways of simplifying messages and better communicating information to make bus use more attractive.

The area has good frequency of service on the main roads between towns and also within the towns themselves, but there is only very limited service to any settlements which lie off these main links.

Rural areas within 15 miles of the Wigton area will benefit in 2024 from the new Rural Mobility service, offering improved links to the town and also onward connections to Carlisle and West Cumbria.

There are six buses an hour from Whitehaven to Workington and half hourly services from Whitehaven to Frizington and Egremont, plus town services in Whitehaven. But away from these routes there are limited or no services for large sections of the region.

Rural areas within 10 miles of Egremont and St Bees will benefit in 2024 from the new Rural Mobility service, offering improved links to onward connections to Whitehaven and Workington.

Problem - Poor Connections at Penrith rail Station with buses to Keswick

Details

Penrith is a major gateway station for the Northern Lake District, and potentially for West Cumbria, but the bus service currently only runs every hour, whilst the erratic nature of the timetable and incorporating connections North and South and to/from Keswick make it difficult to design a timetable, leaving potentially long waits at Penrith.

How

Fund a second hourly bus to make the service half hourly, to make public transport a more attractive option for visitors and local people.

Problem - Lack of Evening Buses

Details

Whilst many areas have frequent services in the daytime, they end at around 6pm, which limits visitor travel, meaning those who wish to stay later have to take a car - this also impacts the hospitality industry.

How

Trial later services on Lakes routes in Summer.

Problem - No late buses from Penrith to Keswick

Details

When encouraging the visitor market, the last bus from Penrith to Keswick is at 20:15, but there are three trains from Birmingham or London or four from Manchester at this time.

How

Trial a later service on Fridays in Summer, to meet trains from the South.

Problem - Limited facilities at Keswick Bus Station

Details

Keswick is a major interchange point for visitors but waiting facilities are very limited and information provision basic.

How

Work with the site owner to offer better shelter facilities, and also look to introduce real-time information screens to offer information on journey options.

Problem - Limited Services to Lillyhall trading estate

Details:

There are a number of large employers (including Cumberland Council) and education facilities at Lillyhall, but the peak buses only run every half hour.

How

Increase the peak frequency of the route from Workington and Whitehaven to every 15 minutes.

Problem - No direct service from Cleator Moor to West Cumberland Hospital

Details

Patients, visitors and staff travelling from the Cleator Moor area either have a long walk from stops in Hensingham, or need to travel into Whitehaven and back on another bus.

How

Re-route the service from Cleator Moor to Whitehaven to run via the Hospital (and pick up at the same a stops as the current service).

Provide an alternative service for areas of Hensingham no longer served due to the diversion.

Problem - Low frequency of services to West Cumberland Hospital

Details

Hospitals in Carlisle and Barrow have frequent links but buses to the West Cumberland hospital are only every 30 minutes.

How

Increase the frequency of the route to every 15 minutes by diverting service from Cleator Moor to additionally serve the hospital.

Problem - Low frequency to Mirehouse Estate in Whitehaven

Details

Whilst the Mirehouse Estate has four buses an hour they depart from Whitehaven town centre just 3 minutes apart, and Mirehouse 4 minutes apart, so only offer a half hourly service.

Due to the way the network is operated in the town, it is difficult to solve this.

How

Look for ways of making different links to allow a co-ordinated 15 minute service.

Most areas of the city have or are within reasonable walking distance of frequent services, often with very early morning, late night and Sunday services.

There is a good network of services on the key routes into the city, but in rural areas services are limited. Wetheral and Dalston saw their service substantially reduced in early 2022.

Problem - Access from new Garden Village site South of Carlisle to City Centre

Details

St Cuthbert’s Garden Village, Carlisle is an ambitious proposal that could include the development of 10,000 new homes, new employment opportunities, community facilities and a new Southern Link Road. Such a large growth in potential traffic will put strains on an already at capacity road network, and will lead to delays on existing bus services.

How

Provide a dedicated “busway” from site to centre of City. A busway will offer fast attractive alternative transport from the development to the City Centre. As part of any future capital funding that is available the Council will also consider bus station upgrades.

Problem - Poor access to Hadrian's Wall

Details

Until 2014 there was a regular service from Carlisle to sites on Hadrian's Wall but today there is none.

How

Fund a link in Summer from Carlisle or Brampton to link with the current AD122 service at Walltown - to also offer access from Northumberland to Birdoswald, Banks, and Lanercost.

Also links to Bowness on Solway for Hadrian's Wall Trail.