Josh MacAlister MP has written to the Traffic Commissioner calling for urgent action over ongoing disruption to Stagecoach bus services in West Cumbria.
The Whitehaven and Workington MP has backed concerns raised by Cumberland Council after months of complaints from passengers about cancelled buses, short-notice changes, poor communication and unreliable services.
Cumberland Council has formally asked the Traffic Commissioner to review Stagecoach’s local bus service operations in Cumberland, citing persistent cancellations, punctuality issues and the disproportionate impact on people who rely on buses to get to work, school, college, medical appointments and essential services.
Josh’s office has received more than 200 complaints from constituents in recent months about local bus services, with passengers warning that delays and cancellations are affecting jobs, appointments, education and day-to-day life.
In his letter to the Traffic Commissioner, Josh warns that the problem is particularly serious in rural and coastal communities, where people often have no realistic alternative if a bus does not turn up.
He also highlights that significant public investment is being made to improve local bus services, including new publicly funded routes across West Cumbria, but says public confidence risks being undermined if commercial services do not run reliably.
Josh MacAlister MP said:
“Reliable buses are not a luxury. For many people in West Cumbria they are the only way to get to work, school, college, hospital appointments or the shops.
“My office has heard from too many constituents who have been left waiting for buses that do not turn up, or who have had journeys disrupted at short notice with little or no communication. In rural and coastal communities, a cancelled bus can mean a missed shift, a missed appointment or being cut off from essential services.
“Cumberland Council is right to raise these concerns with the Traffic Commissioner and I am backing their call for urgent action. We are seeing significant public investment in local bus services and we need operators to play their part by delivering the reliable service passengers deserve.
“This is about standing up for passengers, protecting local bus services and rebuilding confidence in public transport across West Cumbria.”
Josh has asked the Traffic Commissioner to urgently consider whether Stagecoach’s local bus operations in Cumberland warrant regulatory review, including the operator’s compliance with registered timetables, operational resilience, fleet management, contingency planning and communication with passengers.
Read Josh’s letter below
Josh MacAlister MP 