'Golden ticket' to support planned return of bus

Sean Parnaby, chairman of Marport's business group, said the bus route would be a "godsend"

Plans are in place for a bus to return to a town centre, with a "golden ticket" support scheme from businesses.

Traders are working with Cumberland Council to bring back buses to Senhouse Street in Maryport, in Cumbria, in November.

The service was axed in 2022 and users complained that the nearest stop on Curzon Street is too far away for those with mobility issues to walk to the shops or the harbour area.

The council is in the process of appointing a contractor to run the route and Maryport Business Group has put together a scheme to give discounts and vouchers to users to ensure it is supported.

Sean Parnaby, chairman of the business group, said the scheme would be a "godsend" for those with limited mobility and would increase footfall to the town.

He said: "We have this daft situation at the moment where people who want to go shopping end up going to Workington because they can get on the bus to there quicker than they can ever get a bus into town."

Several shops and businesses in Maryport are working together to support a bus route through the town

The previous bus service through the centre of Maryport, the M1, was initially downgraded to a mini bus and then removed altogether by operator Stagecoach, due to low passenger numbers.

Mr Parnaby said businesses may offer a free cup of tea, discounts or other incentives to shoppers.

"It's going to be like a golden ticket, you'll walk off with your ticket and you'll go in places, get discounts," he added.

Gemma Hornsby-Lofthouse who runs Essence Wellness, an aesthetic clinic on Senhouse Street, is taking part in the new scheme.

She said: "We're just really trying to encourage more people into the town and to use the public transport that is just about to be brought back, which we haven't had for many years."

The move comes as the council announced it had secured funding from the government to pilot new ways to deliver bus services in rural areas.

The authority said it hoped it would improve services in areas where routes "struggle to remain financially viable".

Denise Rollo, the council's executive member for connected places, said: "For too long, rural communities have faced limited and unreliable transport options, and this scheme offers a real opportunity to reshape services around the needs of our residents."

More details on the Maryport bus scheme are expected to be released soon.