STAGECOACH'S decision to cut bus services along the Solway Coast has been 'vehemently opposed' by parish councillors. 

Burgh by Sands Parish Council members have voiced opposition to Stagecoach's decision to reduce the 93 and 93A services this month.

The cuts involve scrapping two early morning services that allowed villagers along the Solway coast to reach work or college in Carlisle.

As a result, there is no longer a bus service through Kirkbampton, Thurstonfield, and Moorhouse.

Stagecoach has defended the decision, attributing the move to declining passenger numbers and a lack of funding.

The councillors have raised concerns at their September meeting and have briefed Trevor Allison, the Cumberland councillor for Dalston and Burgh Ward, who is due to meet Stagecoach, on their objections.

These objections include the short notice period for service changes, which was said to be around four weeks.

The notice was also claimed to be delivered during the school holidays, limiting the extent of communication and potential feedback to Stagecoach.

Read more: 'Increasingly challenging' to run 93 bus service say Stagecoach

They also raised concerns about the lack of consultation with residents or parish councils in the affected areas.

The councillors argue that more people are now driving into town, and some have even given up work because of the removal of this service.

They warned that removing the early service into Carlisle could significantly reduce the number of people using the 93 buses during the rest of the day, raising concerns that may lead to the complete removal of the bus service based on usage going ahead. 

A Stagecoach spokesperson said: "Stagecoach operates service 93 between Carlisle and Anthorn via Bowness-on-Solway on a commercial basis.

"This means that for the service to be viable, the costs of operating the service need to be covered by revenue generated from passengers travelling on the bus.

"It has been a challenge for some time for the operation of the service to maintain a viable financial position, and this was recognised from June 2022 when the service received funding from both Carlisle City Council and Allerdale Borough Council to support the continued operation of the service.

"We have continued to discuss the service with stakeholders throughout this time; however, unfortunately, this funding has not continued upon dissolution of the two councils.

"In the absence of further funding, regrettably, we must take the decision to adjust the timetable to reflect the number of passengers using the service.

"We have invested significant time and money in dedicated marketing campaigns for this service to try and increase passenger numbers to the level where the previous timetable would have been sustainable; however, these have sadly been unsuccessful.

"If further funding can be secured to support this service, we would be happy to explore reinstating the previous timetable."