Cumbria County Council has been awarded £1.5m of funding from the Department for Transport (DfT) as part of the Rural Mobility Fund initiative.
The aim is to use the funding to deliver a trial pilot scheme of improved transport solutions for local residents in four key areas in Cumbria, as well as reducing the overall cost to the public of providing local transport in these areas.
The initiative also aims to enhance the opportunities for residents to access education, employment, healthcare and other services, enabling greater social inclusion. The information and feedback received from the pilot scheme will then be sent to the DfT to help inform the national transport agenda.
Communities in and around Egremont, St Bees, Penrith, Ulverston and Wigton will be included in the first phase of the initiative in Cumbria. These areas currently have limited public transport provision and the new services will assist local communities in the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officers from the council’s Transport Services Team will now work alongside local communities and residents to shape new services ahead of their implementation and ensure they meet the needs of the people that will use them.
The new services will be delivered through a new fleet of accessible minibuses and people carrier vehicles and will serve a 10-mile radius around Egremont and St Bees; a 15-mile radius around Penrith; a 10-mile radius surrounding Ulverston; a 15-mile radius of Wigton.
Passengers will be able to book journeys through a new smartphone app, with a telephone booking service also available. Operating hours will be designed to support residents travelling to places of work and education, with an off-peak service providing transport to retail, leisure and other local services.
It is hoped that the services will also run during the evening to support the local night-time economy. If the project is delivered successfully and sustainably in the initial four areas, the council will seek to expand the service to other areas of Cumbria.
Cllr Keith Little, Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said:
“I am pleased to welcome this funding, and that the DfT recognises the importance of improved rural transport solutions in areas such as Cumbria.
“Cumbria County Council is committed to community transport and understands that services must meet the expectations of our residents and communities within the resources available. It is essential that those living in rural areas have access to flexible and affordable transport so they can reach the local services and amenities they need.
“We hope that this pilot scheme will be a success and look forward to working with local communities to develop these new routes over the coming months.”
