Cumbria County Council is developing a plan to improve bus services across Cumbria and is seeking the views and experiences of it residents to help shape it.

The council is conducting face to face interviews in a number of locations around the county, and is encouraging people to complete an online survey to gather opinions and ideas from people about local bus services. It is interested in what you think about bus services now, what works well, and what could be improved.

The information gathered will feed into a new Bus Service Improvement Plan – which the council is building in partnership with bus service operators and other stakeholders over the next few months.

The plan is being developed in response to the government’s new National Bus Strategy for England, which sets ambitious targets for improving bus services across the country, to attract more passengers with better services, improved facilities and, where possible, lower fares.

Cllr Keith Little, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said:

“I am pleased that the council is developing an improvement plan for bus services alongside the operators that provide them, and the insight of local people will be vital to ensuring the plan is effective and delivers the improvements required.

“It’s really important that the council understands the views and ideas of local bus service users, so that the plan is developed around the things that are most important to passengers.”