Cumberland’s Labour MPs have today written to England’s major bus companies and local operators across Cumbria urging them to bid for new routes in a £3.5 million procurement exercise launched by Cumberland Council.
The move comes as Cumberland Council, backed by a big boost in bus funding from the Labour Government, brings forward plans for the biggest expansion of the local bus network in a generation.
Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, said:
“Poor public transport is holding West Cumbria back. Thanks to a Labour Government and a Labour Council, we are finally investing to change that with a £3.5 million boost for new bus services.
“But this investment will only succeed if bus operators step up. That’s why Cumberland’s Labour MPs have written directly to major national and local bus companies urging them to bid for these routes. These services have been designed with our residents, who have been clear about how desperately they are needed.
“If operators don’t bid, they are the ones who will be letting down our communities. We want to work with bus companies to make these routes a success – and with multi-year funding settlements coming this autumn, there is real certainty for the long term. This is a chance to build a better bus network for Cumberland, and we expect operators to play their part.”
The letter, signed by Josh MacAlister, Julie Minns, Markus Campbell-Savours and Michelle Scrogham, makes clear that the new services are vital to the area’s future and that operators must seize this opportunity to deliver them.
Josh MacAlister MP 