People left late for appointments and work after X5 service was canceled

On Monday May 22, passengers were waiting at Workington bus station after the Stagecoach X5 service was canceled at 8.15am.

Bron Stringer and her daughter Beth Todd were worried they would miss Beth’s postnatal doctor’s appointment after the bus was cancelled.

Bron said: “We came to catch the bus at quarter past eight to go to Keswick. We are going to Keswick at that time because Beth has a postnatal check at 9.30am in Keswick… we couldn’t make it . the bus as early as possible because she lives in Whitehaven, so she took the bus as early as possible to meet the X5.

“We stood there and waited, and the bus was canceled, but the bus stayed there.”

Beth added: “It happens every day, it happens regularly.”

Another traveler worried about the service was Emma, ​​who traveled from her home in Workington to Cockermouth for work. This was the second time this week Emma had been late for work due to canceled buses.

She said: “The bus services in west Cumbria are ridiculous. Either they get canceled or they just don’t show up.

“Drivers and inspectors drive past you and can’t tell you the bus is canceled…people can’t get to work, school or appointments on time.

“Twice this week I’m late for work due to lack of service, but this happens regularly.”

Tom Waterhouse, managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: “Our teams continue to work hard to ensure the vast majority of local buses continue to operate as normal.

“As of this week, we are currently delivering 98 percent of all our services without interruption, but I am really sorry to hear about customers’ experience with the X5 service this morning (May 22).

“The 8:15am X5 service did not operate due to a short notice driver issue. For this, I offer you my sincere apologies.

“We understand that delays and cancellations are extremely frustrating for our customers, and I want to thank them for their patience and understanding during these times.

“There are a variety of ways for customers to find out about the latest service updates, including our Stagecoach Bus app. Passengers can download the Stagecoach Bus app which we update throughout the day.

“Once again, I sincerely apologize to the passengers who waited a long time for the X5 bus to arrive this morning.”