Cumbria County Council is considering a move to set more competitive fares on the 561 bus service between Appleby and Kendal in an effort to make the service self-sustaining
The county council pays for the Wednesday 561 service because there are currently no commercial bus companies interested in operating on the route and the council is looking into ways of securing the service by helping it stand on its own two feet.
Fares on the 561 have not increased in five years with the 50 mile round trip costing just £3.05 (or £2.85 one way). For comparison, the Kirkby Stephen to Kendal service covers 47.8 miles for a return fare of £4.35.
The current return fare for the 561 is significantly below the normal price for this kind of service and it is one factor that can be changed relatively simply and quickly in an effort to bring the service closer to commercial viability.
Typically, around two thirds of people who use the 561 reach Kendal on a Wednesday qualify for concessionary fares. Those passengers will not notice any difference as their fares will remain free under the scheme.
Ian Stewart, county council cabinet member responsible for transport, said: "It may seem strange to try to save a service by increasing fares, but it could be an important step on the road to helping the 561 stand on its own two feet."
"The proposal to bring fares into line with similar routes is specifically designed to help secure a long-term future for the service. Introducing a reasonable but realistic £5 fare for the journey could go a long way towards making the 561 service sustainable."
At the moment 561 bus contract costs £110 for every round trip. At £3.05 for a return ticket, the county council typically recoups around £48 of that cost. A new £5 return fare would mean that the council could expect to get back around £85 in fares. That would bring the service to within touching distance of breaking even and mean that a handful more passengers per journey, perhaps as few as six, could make service self-financing.
At the current fare level of £3.05 it is doubtful that the service could ever be commercially viable.
"We are also planning to help by putting more effort and resources into promoting the service and increasing passenger numbers," said Mr Stewart. "The combination of the two could even bring the service into profit and that would be the best way of securing its long-term survival."
Proposed changes to fares on the 561 will be discussed with interested parties in the next few weeks; the first opportunity will be at the public meeting to discuss local bus transport issues at Appleby Town Hall at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 27th.
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