Public transport in Cumbria and nationally is currently under review and special importance is placed on connectivity in rural areas.
Westmorland and Furness Council is currently considering several tenders from commercial bus companies in respect of several routes including the 564 Sedbergh to Kendal service.
The population of the town of Sedbergh (2,818 at last census) is expressing sincere hopes that Westmorland and Furness Council will at last see fit to provide Sedbergh with a bus service which will support people travelling to and from work and education.
This would mean a full-size bus able to accommodate all passengers, which could bring and return travellers from Kendal to work in Sedbergh, and provide transport from Sedbergh for Kendal and back, all at times which facilitate work and school attendance.
Such a service would also support connectivity and sustainable transport to the Dales, (of which Sedbergh is the largest town).
We know that Westmorland and Furness does place importance on connectivity and in supporting economic growth in rural communities, and we note that full-size buses are employed to facilitate tourism in the Lakes even where there is neither a working age population nor school pupils in such significant numbers as in Sedbergh (Borrowdale, for example).
Our present Sedbergh bus transport relies entirely on a volunteer service which cannot fulfil these vital links, because these buses do not run at times suitable for work and education and, because the buses take only 16 passengers, it is quite usual for people to be unable to board.
Our current transport situation is therefore wholly inadequate to provide full and fair opportunities in Sedbergh and nearby for anyone unable to drive, or unable to afford to run a car, or who wish to reduce their environmental impact by not using their car for all journeys.
We hope that the council will see fit to take our deep concerns into account when making its decisions in the near future.
Helen Bromley, Sedbergh.
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