29/11/2007 - A new community bus launched in Cockermouth

A new minibus will soon be serving communities around Cockermouth thanks to Cumbria County Council and Cockermouth Roundtable.

The brand new 16-seat Mercedes Sprinter 515 minibus with full wheelchair access will be available to the area’s community and voluntary groups through the North Cumbria Community Transport (NCCT) bus brokerage which provides affordable, accessible transport to local groups.

The new bus will be officially launched on Monday, December 3rd, at 2.00pm at the Lakeland Sheep and Wool Centre. Representatives from Cumbria County Council, Cockermouth Round Table and NCCT will be there and all media are welcome to attend (tea, coffee and sandwiches will be served).

The county council's Cumbria Rural Infrastructure Support Programme (CRISP) provided £25,000 to buy the minibus while Cockermouth Roundtable gave £15,000 –much it from the proceeds of Cockermouth's beer festivals. A further £1,000 came from the local neighbourhood forum and Cockermouth Town Council gave £200.

The brand new bus worth, around £40,000, will join the brokerage’s six other vehicles in use in Allerdale. The need for another bus in the Cockermouth area was highlighted through neighbourhood forum meetings and groups which would benefit have been identified by NCCT. 

A wide variety of community groups are registered with North Cumbria Community Transport including the elderly, younger people and the disabled. The bus will be located at Wordsworth Court in Cockermouth. A trusted volunteer driver has been assigned to the bus but it will also be available for hire from the brokerage as a self drive vehicle. 

A great deal of interest has already been shown by local groups and several journeys have already been booked. The bus is available to hire at 75p per mile, for further information and to register as a group call Colin Spencer at NCCT on 01900 819004.

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Media enquiries to Justin Hawkins, Media Officer on 01228 606334