THE COUNCIL has welcomed the government’s announcement it is investing £4 million into improving bus services in Westmorland and Furness.

The government has pledged to invest £955 million to support bus services nationally, with £712 million going towards local authorities and a further £243 million for bus operators.

Westmorland and Furness Council is in line to receive £4.04 million in funding for the 2025/26 financial year to improve bus services in the region.

Cabinet member for transport and environmental services, councillor John Murray said: “We welcome the Government’s commitment to supporting bus service improvements in Westmorland and Furness, allocating our council £4 million to further enhance the public transport offer in 2025/26.

"The funding will significantly benefit our residents, who for many, buses are a lifeline offering their only means of reaching essential services across our area.

“This sum will enable us to build on the fantastic work that has already been delivered and take us even closer to achieving our vision of establishing a sustainable and reliable network of bus services. 

Our residents are already seeing the benefits of nine new or enhanced council-funded routes that launched earlier this year, with up to 30 more bus services set to receive support.”

The Department for Transport says the way funding is allocated has been reformed, meaning it will be allocated based on place need, levels of deprivation and population. This will stop areas competing for funding as in previous years, which in turn wastes resources and delays decisions.

Transport secretary Louise Haigh said: “Buses are the lifeblood of communities, but the system is broken. Too often, passengers are left waiting hours for buses that don’t turn up – and some have been cut off altogether.

“That’s why we’re reforming funding to deliver better buses across the country and end the postcode lottery of bus services.

The government say the Buses Bill will be introduced in the coming weeks and will give local leaders across England greater control to deliver bus services in a way that suits the needs of their communities.

According to the Department for Transport, local authorities will be empowered to deliver modern and integrated bus networks that put passengers at the heart of local decision making.

Cllr Murray added: “As we await further details from the Department for Transport, we will continue working with our operators and local communities to ensure this funding delivers real and meaningful improvements.”