MP secures Gove meeting to support bus services in Westmorland and Furness

On the floor of the House of Commons this afternoon, Cumbrian MP Tim Farron challenged the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, to give more funding and powers to Westmorland and Furness Council to support bus services.

It comes after it was recently announced that from next month Travellers Choice will be withdrawing 530 bus service in the Cartmel Peninsula, and Woofs of Sedbergh will no longer be running the W1 service to Kendal.

Speaking during Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Questions in Parliament, Tim said: "One of the clearest examples that rural communities are in desperate need of levelling up is the shocking state of bus services and the declining access to them.

"The £2 fare is very welcome but of absolutely no use if you live in a community with no bus service at all.

"We're recently facing a withdrawal in the next few weeks of the 530 Cartmel Peninsula service and the W1 Sedbergh to Kendal service.

"What funding and additional powers can he promise to the new Westmorland and Furness Council to make sure that communities like those retain their buses and other areas that are less well served get new services?"

Responding, Michael Gove said: "Well the honourable gentleman is right that bus services are absolutely vital, not least for rural communities like those that he represents.

"What I would like to do is to talk to him and Westmorland and Furness Council, of course relatively newly formed and Lib Dem led at the moment.

"But I'm looking forward to talking to them about what we can do in order to provide with the Department for Transport suitable services for his constituents."