Formal concerns about the performance of travel firm Stagecoach in north and West Cumbria have been raised with the Traffic Commissioners.
Cumberland Council said it had raised concerns with the independent regulator about the levels of service provided by the bus operator.
The council has asked the Traffic Commissioners to review whether Stagecoach is meeting its registered service obligations, including adherence to timetables, operational resilience and the ability to deliver a consistent level of service across the network.
It said while concerns were not new, the volume of complaints it was receiving was placing a significant strain on council resources, with officers and councillors regularly responding to issues and supporting affected residents, particularly those who rely on bus services to access work, education, healthcare and other essential services.
It added: “The council has repeatedly raised them publicly, shared feedback directly with Stagecoach, and highlighted the growing number of complaints received from residents about reliability, punctuality and service delivery.
“Despite continued engagement with the operator, issues such as persistent cancellations, short-notice service changes and inconsistent performance have continued.”
Cumberland Councillor Denise Rollo, executive member for sustainable, resilient and connected places, said: “Writing to the Traffic Commissioner is not something I ever wanted to do, but we have reached a point where further action is necessary.
“We have worked constructively with Stagecoach over a prolonged period and remain committed to working with them to get this right for our residents.
“However, the current level of service is not meeting people’s expectations.
“We want to see improvements, and we will continue to work with all partners to achieve a more reliable and resilient network.”
The travel firm said in recent weeks, multiple sets of roadworks had been carried out at the same time across key corridors, including Warwick Road, Eastern Way, Victoria Road and Burgh Road roundabout, resulting in significant congestion and delays.
In 2024, the firm was given a formal warning for its failure to operate bus services in Cumbria.
The warning was issued following a public inquiry and DVSA investigation into the bus operator – which found the firm was failing to operate certain of its registered bus services in Cumbria without a reasonable excuse.
Stagecoach Cumbria and Lancashire managing director Tom Waterhouse said: “We take our responsibility to deliver reliable and dependable bus services to communities across Cumberland extremely seriously.
“However, operating bus services in the county continues to present significant challenges, with extensive short-term roadworks, congestion and highway disruption regularly affecting journey times and the reliability of services.
“The severe delays experienced across Carlisle this week are a clear example of the difficult operating conditions our teams are working through daily.
“We’re very sorry for the impact this disruption is having on customers and fully recognise the frustration caused when services are delayed.
“Our staff remain committed to mitigating disruption wherever possible and continue to work hard to keep passengers moving safely and reliably.
“While we strongly dispute the nature of the alleged failings referenced by the council, we remain fully committed to working constructively and collaboratively with Cumberland Council to improve bus reliability for local communities.
“We wrote to Councillor Rollo on February 18 outlining our concerns and proposals for closer joint working, and we have followed this up on several occasions since.
“We continue to believe that strong partnership working between highway authorities and bus operators is the most effective way to deliver reliable and dependable services for people across Cumberland.
“We would therefore welcome the opportunity to meet with Cllr Rollo and the council representatives to discuss practical solutions which support better outcomes for customers.”
