CONCERNS have been raised over pedestrian safety on a busy main road after a village bus service was scrapped.

Residents living in the village of Parton must now cross the busy A595 to catch a bus into Whitehaven town centre after Stagecoach stopped operating the Lowca number 1 service.

A revised service 29 from Whitehaven to Workington via Lillyhall, now serves Lowca and Bransty, but does not travel through Parton.

Jules Huck, who lives in the village, said: “It is a real concern for people who depended on the bus service. It was a lifeline for them. The elderly and people with a disability are going to be impacted massively.

“They now have to climb a hill and cross over the extremely busy A595 where there isn’t a safe place to cross. It has long been a concern for our children crossing  that road to get to school.

“There isn’t a safe crossing, not even an island midway. I’m hoping that at least this can be resolved.”

Stephen Tumelty, chairman of Parton Parish Council, said: “It’s terrible what they've done. We are the only place in Whitehaven that's been left out of their new timetable.

“Residents are now struggling to catch the bus. The A595 at Parton is one of the busiest roads in the area with around 30,000 vehicles per day. There is no zebra crossing or traffic lights, there is an island at one end where you can get half way across but nothing at Parton brow end.

“People can be standing for 20 minutes and the bus goes by. We keep bringing it up with Cumberland Council, Highways and MPs to no avail.

“Losing the bus service is a real kick in the teeth for the residents. Someone will be killed before anything is done about it.”

Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, said: “I’m very concerned about the removal of the bus service in Parton and recently addressed a packed Parish Council meeting to discuss the issue with residents.

“I’ve raised my concerns with Stagecoach and I’ve asked Cumberland Council to look at funding a service through the village in phase two of their bus service improvement plan, along with connecting other local villages that are not on the bus network.

“I want to see a much better bus network for the people of West Cumbria, connecting all of our towns and villages and giving residents a reliable and efficient way to get around.”

Gillian Troughton, who represents the Howgate ward on Cumberland Council, said: "The changes to the Parton and Lowca bus route is very worrying. These are communities that have no shops and many villagers are reliant on public transport to get the basic necessities they need for life.

"I am working with the portfolio holder with responsibility for transport, Denise Rollo, and our MP, Josh MacAlister to find a sustainable solution, possibly using the renewed powers given to councils by the Labour Government, to run bus services once again.

"I would like all the villages to have at least a basic bus service such that residents can do a weekly shop, and access NHS and other services. I am committed to working with the Parish Councils in Parton and Lowca, as well as Moresby to achieve this.

"The crossings on the A595 are terrible for pedestrians. I raised this with National Highways (who are responsible for this stretch of road) as long ago as 2016. I will continue to argue for improvements to stop the elderly and vulnerable being trapped on the wrong side of a busy road. I am pleased that Mr MacAlister has also picked up on this issue since he was elected."

Stagecoach declined to comment but confirmed that the number one service had stopped operating on September 2.

Cumberland Council asked residents to report any problems with the highways on its website: www.cumberland.gov.uk