Last updated at 13:50, Tuesday, 12 June 2012

A NEW bus route is set to launch next month as part of a multi-million green travel scheme.

Stagecoach is due to introduce the X33 service between Ambleside and Ravenglass, which will run twice daily linking the central lakes to West Cumbria.

The service, part of the £6.9m Go Lakes scheme, aims to help cut the amount of Co2 emissions and encourage responsible travel around the Lake District.

The project is funded by Cumbria County Council, the Lake District National Park Authority and Cumbria Tourism and will run to 2015.

Buses will run from July 21 to September 9 and will allow attractions like Muncaster Castle to capitalise on summer visitors.

Andy Chafe, public relations manager at Muncaster Castle, said: “We did and do support the scheme.

“We don’t want thousands of people coming from the central Lakes by car.

“We believe in sustainable transport and tourism and this is one of the first developments that really fits the bill.

“This will help develop the outlying areas but also help locals who don’t have their own transport.

“We need more things likes this and things like trains on a Sunday which will help develop the area.”

Steve Ratcliffe, director of planning and partnerships at the Lake District National Park, said of the Go Green initiative: “This is a really unique programme. It is unique because of the partnership behind it and it is unique because it is orientated towards the visitor.

“Other sustainable travel projects elsewhere in the UK have focused on residents.

“This programme is about inspiring visitors that they can change their behaviour.

“We are trying to get to the point where people can forget about their car while they are in the Lake District because using sustainable transport will be easy and fun.”

Mark Holroyd, South Copeland Tourism officer, said: “This fantastic new service will provide a much needed link to disperse visitors into South Copeland from the honeypot areas of the central Lake District.

“It will bring lots of benefits to our local tourism businesses by bringing day visitors and their bikes into the area by sustainable transport.

“We are very grateful to the funders of this initiative and hope that it succeeds.”

First published at 13:17, Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk