Revealed: The bus routes funded by Cambridgeshire’s mayoral precept
Details of the 30 new bus routes that a trebling of the mayoral precept paid for have been revealed.
The routes are based on feedback from more than 700 residents who responded to a consultation in December and January. Services are expected to start running on the new routes this autumn, subject to the procurement of operators.
The precept rise will also allow for bus fares for the under-25s to be capped at £1, with residents able to apply for a card that enables this from May 28.
Labour mayor Dr Nik Johnson said: “These new routes will make a real difference to our residents’ lives, helping more people take advantage of good quality public transport for getting to and from their place of work, education or training, and for all the various things we each need and want to do in our personal lives.
“I’m very grateful to everyone who took part in the consultation and really proud of what this investment will achieve.”
The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority agreed to increase the mayoral portion of the council tax bill earlier this year, despite some Conservative opposition.
It means an average Band D taxpayer will pay £36 this year, up from £12 last year, when the charge was first introduced.
The Combined Authority is also reviewing how it can improve bus stops and introduce better, more reliable and greener buses to the network.
The mayor was found last year to have breached the authority’s code of conduct following an investigation and opponents argue the turmoil at the Combined Authority may have played a part in it failing to secure government funding for bus service improvements that others received.
The new routes and plans include:
Cambridge
- Express service linking Cambridge and Huntingdon with the potential to extend to Alconbury Weald
- New orbital bus service to key destinations around Cambridge, avoiding journeys into the centre and need to change buses
- Busway – higher frequencies Trumpington to rail station and Addenbrooke’s
- Extension of Route 18 to Parkside and increase in frequency across route
- Restoration of a direct link from Histon Road to Addenbrooke’s.
East Cambridgeshire
- An additional Ely Zipper service providing an enhanced link between Sutton and Ely via villages in between, while also exploring a link to Mepal
- New service between Ely and Longstanton Park & Ride, via Witchford, Sutton, Earith and Willingham
- New service between Soham and Cambridge, via Burwell, Swaffham Prior, Swaffham Bulbeck and Bottisham
- Improvements on B1102 corridor with interconnections to access different parts of Cambridge and other centres to which people travel
- New Demand Responsive Transport trial. Collaborating with the community to define a service zone that offers maximum coverage to rural communities.
South Cambridgeshire
- Integration of 1A and 5A services between Bar Hill, Swavesey and St Ives and enhanced frequencies
- Route 4 – improve frequency Cambourne to Cambridge and investigate expansion of service to North East Cambridge
- Route 8 – improve frequency. More direct route and expansion to Rampton
- X13 Haverhill to Cambridge – increase frequency
- New Demand Responsive Transport trial. Collaborating with the community to define a service zone that offers maximum coverage to rural communities.
Huntingdonshire
- Provide a link between Fenstanton and Huntingdon railway station. Fenstanton could be incorporated into express service options linking Cambridge and Huntingdon – a proposed route has been developed
- Route 66 – improve frequency between Huntingdon and St Neots
- Enhance frequency of service between Ramsey and Huntingdon and provide interchange with service operating between St Ives and March at Warboys
- X2/X3 Huntingdon – Cambridge- Addenbrooke’s – engagement with incumbent operator to assess options for improvements
- 904 – improve frequency and earlier and later journeys.
Fenland
- 68 (Wisbech) – enhanced days and hours of operation, plus extending route to include Morrisons, including a consideration of a Saturday service
- 31/33 – later evening journeys to Whittlesey (also serving Amazon and McCains)
- New service connecting Christchurch to Wisbech and Downham Market
- New service between Chatteris, Manea rail station, Christchurch and Wisbech, co-ordinated with train times at Manea
- Enhancement on Peterborough to March route with extension to Chatteris and Ely
- Improvements to Chatteris-March-Whittlesey-Wisbech corridor
- New Demand Responsive Transport trial. Collaborating with the community to define a service zone that offers maximum coverage to rural communities.
Peterborough
- Options for orbital bus services to key destinations around Peterborough, avoiding journeys into the centre and the need to change buses
- Improve service frequency through Thorney and improve service to Eye with improvements
- Route 5 – improve service frequencies.
For maps, visit bit.ly/4bGhbiu.
