People in Kendal will have a chance to influence the future of bus services when a county-wide consultation visits the town next month.

A drop-in session will be held at Kendal Town Hall on Tuesday, October 6, from 3.30pm to 7.30pm. Residents, passengers, workers and anyone who travels by bus in Cumbria can attend to share their experiences and explain what they need from the network.

The event is part of the next phase of the Cumbria Bus Reform Pilot Study, which is being funded by the Department for Transport. Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council have opened the consultation as they examine how local bus services could be planned, funded and operated in the future.

How to take part

An online questionnaire will be available on the Cumberland Council website from October 5 until midnight on October 25. The consultation is intended to collect views on passenger experiences across the county, including how bus services connect people with essential destinations.

The study is exploring possible ways to improve connections to work, education and healthcare. It is being delivered alongside transport firms Jacobs and Oxera, with public feedback forming part of the wider work.

The Kendal meeting is one of six in-person drop-in events scheduled across Cumbria:

  • Barrow Town Hall: Monday, October 5, 2pm to 6pm
  • Kendal Town Hall: Tuesday, October 6, 3.30pm to 7.30pm
  • Penrith Library: Friday, October 16, 12.30pm to 4.30pm
  • Carlisle Library: Saturday, October 17, 10.30am to 2.30pm
  • Keswick Library: Tuesday, October 20, 1.30pm to 4.45pm
  • Workington Library: Wednesday, October 21, 2pm to 6pm

What happens next

The councils said that no decisions have been made about the future network. Feedback from the questionnaire and public meetings will be considered alongside technical research.

The findings will help inform future transport policy and the Cumbria Combined Authority. For people who rely on buses to reach work, education, healthcare or other parts of the county, the Kendal session offers a direct opportunity to put local experiences on record.

“This is an important opportunity for people across Cumbria to share their experiences of local bus services and explain what they need from the network in the future.”

Councillor Denise Rollo, executive member for sustainable, resilient and connected places at Cumberland Council, said local insight would be important because of the different needs of communities and the county’s geography.

“These community events and the online questionnaire provide people who live, travel and work in Cumbria the chance to have their say and help shape the delivery of the future bus network across the region.”

Councillor Adrian Waite, cabinet member for environmental services and transport for Westmorland and Furness Council, said the consultation would give people who live, travel and work in the county an opportunity to contribute.