The importance of affordable, eco-friendly public transport for visitor, worker and community travel has been underlined by the results of a new Cumbria Tourism survey.
Sustainable transport is a key priority for the county’s ‘Destination Management Plan’, a county-wide action plan to support Cumbria’s future growth as a great place to live, work, visit and study. However, 80% of Cumbrian tourism employers say the cost of using public transport to travel to work is currently a barrier when it comes to recruiting staff to support the local visitor economy.
Cumbria Tourism’s new public transport survey of almost 650 people delved deeper into the issues, finding that 99% of respondents have used the recent £2/£3 bus fares, either for commuting, leisure travel or business trips. Significantly, more than 40% hadn’t used buses before 2024 — mainly due to cost – and the majority said they wouldn’t continue using buses if the bus fare cap ends. A number of respondents also highlighted transport issues as a potential barrier to employment.
With no guarantees that the current £3 bus fare cap will continue beyond this year, a desire to keep the subsided fares in Cumbria was a prominent feature of the survey results – with many saying they wouldn’t continue using the bus without the fare cap.
There is concern for employers that if the cap is removed, staff may stop using buses due to cost and this could affect punctuality, job access and reliability. Meanwhile, some businesses mentioned that visitors benefit from the fare cap, making their locations more accessible without cars, and reducing the potential for congestion and parking issues.
Hospitality workers also praised the discounted fares as a lifeline on their daily commute.
Lesley Townson from Lakeside Hotel said: “Since I don’t drive, the £3 rate is a game-changer for me. If it increased, I’d either have to rely on others to provide lifts or cut back on essentials elsewhere – neither is a great option.”
Meanwhile, Kyle Nesbitt, Sales and Merchandising Manager at Grasmere Gingerbread commented: “The £3 bus fare makes it possible for me to get to work without it costing a large portion of my income each week“.
As the county’s Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP), Cumbria Tourism has already been working closely with tourism businesses, the county’s two local authorities and transport providers like Stagecoach to help make flexible worker transport available to the right people at the right times.
Recent success stories have included more early morning and evening bus timetables to better suit hospitality staff, but this latest survey delved deeper into people’s personal experiences to help build on this momentum.
This new up-to-date evidence will now be used by Cumbria Tourism to actively make the case to retain the current arrangements longer term, so they can benefit even more people.
The organisation will also continue to work with a range of partners to help develop long-term solutions for affordable, low-carbon travel and further promote the full range of travel discount schemes available. That includes the local residents’ discount card MyCumbria, which provides offers such as 1/3 off-peak rail travel will both Northern and TransPennine Express.
Cumbria Tourism’s Charitable Fund is another way people can access support with travel to work costs, with grants of up to £500 available for those aged 16+ years who are either living and training/studying hospitality, or are newly employed in the tourism and hospitality sector in Cumbria.