X6 bus route causes concern

Tim Farron and residents of Grange have expressed disappointment over the changes to the X6 Kendal-Barrow service that could mean patients and visitors having to change buses at least once in order to reach the hospital.

After Stagecoach announced the new X35 Kendal-Barrow bus route - now renamed the X6, Tim and passengers were disappointed to hear that the service would no longer stop at Westmorland GeneralHospital. This change could mean passengers living beyond Grange would have to take as many as 6 buses to reach the hospital.

Instead of a direct passage to the hospital, patients will have to catch a bus or buses into KendalKVillage, and then catch Service 41 to the hospital. This is a huge inconvenience, especially for unwell or elderly patients. There is also a danger that the change could create a limited access period for patients without personal transport, because before 10am and after 4pm there are few connecting buses from the hospital to Grange, whereas the old route provided roughly hourly transport to and from the hospital to Grange.

Tim says; "It would be a real shame if this stop were to be permanently excluded from the route. It will inconvenience residents of Grange and surrounding villages, meaning they could have restricted access to the hospital and may even have to miss essential appointments. Keeping our public transport as accessible as possible for the largest amount of people is very important, so I will be speaking to Stagecoach and calling for them to reinstate the hospital stop."