Joggers, cyclists and a mother with a pram come close to edge of Cambridgeshire busway to avoid flood

A solution to flooding on the guided busway is being urgently called for amid fears of another fatality on the route.

The maintenance track, the path that runs alongside the busway, suffers from seasonal flooding between Swavesey and St Ives.

Cambridgeshire County Council, which runs the busway, has closed sections of the path as a result and is warning people not to try and walk along it.

However, John Morris, leader of the Hunts Walking and Cycling Group, is calling on the council – alongside the Environment Agency – to come up with a solution.

He said the flooding had been an issue since the busway opened in 2011, but it has become worse in recent years.

Mr Morris explained that this had led to people creating an informal path, close to the busway track, to avoid the water.

Mr Morris, who represents the group’s more than 2,300 members, said: “People walking or wheeling have over the years created an informal narrow footpath along the top of the embankment to bypass the flood section of pathway.

“This informal narrow path is dangerously close to the guided busway track. A solution to the seasonal flooding must be designed and delivered before we have another serious injury or fatality on the guided busway.

“Fourteen years of inaction on what should be an exemplar active travel route between St Ives and Cambridge is simply not acceptable on this critical greenway used by many thousands of commuters and leisure users each year.”

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “The guided busway maintenance track, the path which runs alongside the busway, is closed in parts between Swavesey and St Ives to the public due to flooding.

“Just before this section, there is a gate which has closed the path and a sign which clearly states ‘flood, path ahead closed’. We would urge people – do not try and walk along the busway while it’s flooded. We are actively looking to resolve the flooding issue at this location so that it remains open all year.”