Northern powerhouse and rural bus services

Motion Text

That this House condemns the cancellation of the 552 and 530 bus services in Cumbria; recognises that Cumbria suffers from rural transport poverty; notes that the north-west experienced the loss of 888 bus services between 2008 and 2018; further recognises that the average age of Cumbria’s population is 10 years higher than the national average; further notes that vulnerable people are left isolated by the lack of bus services and prevented from accessing vital services; further condemns the failure to provide adequate school bus services; observes that bus services are vital to promoting and maintaining thriving communities; and calls on the Government to establish a Northern Powerhouse commission for rural bus services in Cumbria.