RESIDENTS of Mirehouse have shared their frustration over the standards of the bus service in the area.

Stagecoach buses that run in the area have been noted as either late, or a 'no-show', which has left people late for work, stuck in another area or unable to travel. Parents in Mirehouse have also mentioned how they are anxious about letting their children use the bus service during exam season as buses are late, or do not show up.

One person said they" waited two hours" for a bus to show up.

Josh MacAlister, the Labour candidate was canvasing in Mirehouse at the beginning of June and said that "the state of local bus services" was brought up in conversation with residents.

Mirehouse community centre chairman, Carl Walmsley said: "I don't think it's Mirehouse alone I think it's county wide.

"Reports of kids not getting to school and people missing important appointments, it's not on to be honest.  I can speak on behalf of the Mirehouse residents and share their anger.

"Lots of people of all ages rely heavily on this service daily for work commitments, interviews appointments etc. I especially feel for our dear elderly in some cases it is their only opportunity to get out of the house.

"For these buses to not turn up unannounced is incredibly unprofessional and us public have had a gut full of it."

Tom Waterhouse, Managing Director, Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire said: "Our teams continue to work hard to ensure that the vast majority of local services continue to run as normal.   

“We are currently providing 98 per cent of all our services without disruption, however I am very sorry to hear about the experiences of some of our customers who use our services in the Mirehouse area of Whitehaven. 

“The reason for the recent cancellations was due to lack of vehicles being available and for this, I offer my sincere apologies. 

“I am pleased to say that later this week we will take delivery of four brand new buses, with three more to follow over the coming weeks.

"This means that there will be an additional seven new buses which will solely be used in the Whitehaven and Workington town areas. I hope the addition of these new buses will help improve services across West Cumbria. 

“We appreciate that delays and cancellations are frustrating and I would like to sincerely thank all our passengers for their patience and understanding during these times.”

 

There are a variety of ways for customers to find out the latest service updates, including the Stagecoach Bus App and website, which we update throughout the day.