A bus service connecting rural communities between Kendal to Penrith is celebrating its 10th birthday.
The 106 Partnership was set up following the withdrawal of bus service subsidies across Cumbria in 2014, which resulted in many rural bus routes being cancelled.
Local councillors and residents joined forces to find a solution. The partnership initially launched with seed-funding from parish councils along the route and a grant from Eden Housing Association.
For the first two years, the service operated under the accountable body of the then county council but moved to form as an independent charity in 2017.
Over the last decade, the charity has delivered a bus service on 1,324 days, carrying almost 65,000 passengers – of whom more than 75% have been bus pass users.
The partnership developed a gap-funded model to run.
Every two years, the charity holds an open procurement, inviting bus service operators to tender to run the route.
Operators are paid a commercial rate, and fares collected by the service are used to contribute towards the cost of the bus, the charity then raises funds to pay for the gap between the cost of running the service and the fares collected.
The partnership has paid more than £250,000 in contract fees and has raised £94,000 in funds through grants, donations and fundraising activities.
Shap parish councillor and 106 Bus Committee member, Alan Sowerby said: “It was awful when we lost the bus service; many people were left feeling very isolated, so a group of us got together to plan how we could make it work.
“Folk in Shap and other villages along the route really value the service and the work that the committee and trustees put in to keep it running.
“We weren’t sure how long we could keep it going for initially but is has stood the test of time and remains very popular so will hopefully be around for many more years to come.
“The route is currently run by Cumbria Classic Coaches, who are really good at looking after the passengers; it’s like a family onboard the bus, with everyone looking out for each other.
“The driver, Ian is always welcoming and keeps an eye out for people who need any extra help. They even have a whip-round on the bus to buy chocolates for the children at Lowther School at Easter and Christmas.”
