Cumberland Council has formally raised concerns about the performance of Stagecoach bus services in the area with the Traffic Commissioner, ongoing issues affecting passengers and communities across the county.
These concerns are not new. The Council has repeatedly raised them publicly, shared feedback directly with Stagecoach, and highlighted the growing number of complaints received from residents about reliability, punctuality and service delivery.
The volume and nature of these complaints are placing a significant strain on council resources, with officers and councillors regularly responding to issues and supporting affected residents, particularly those who rely on bus services to access work, education, healthcare and other essential services.
Despite continued engagement with the operator, issues such as persistent cancellations, short-notice service changes and inconsistent performance have continued.
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, Executive Member for Sustainable, Resilient and Connected Places, said:
“Writing to the Traffic Commissioner is not something I ever wanted to do, but we have reached a point where further action is necessary.
“We have worked constructively with Stagecoach over a prolonged period and remain committed to working with them to get this right for our residents. However, the current level of service is not meeting people’s expectations.
“We want to see improvements, and we will continue to work with all partners to achieve a more reliable and resilient network.”
The council has asked the Traffic Commissioner to review whether Stagecoach is meeting its registered service obligations, including adherence to timetables, operational resilience and the ability to deliver a consistent level of service across the network.
This step has not been taken lightly but reflects the ongoing nature and impact of the issues being experienced by passengers across Cumberland.
Cumberland Council remains committed to working with Stagecoach and other partners to deliver the reliable public transport network that residents expect and deserve.