Second No 9 bus route from Littleport to Ely and Cambridge subsidised by Combined Authority

A second No 9 bus route between Littleport and Cambridge will be operated by A2B, after the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority agreed to subsidise it following changes by Stagecoach.

Two petitions were launched after Stagecoach announced cutbacks to the route, which also goes via Ely and Waterbeach, and came into effect on 14 April.

The bus company said passenger numbers on the route had “not returned to anything like its pre-Covid customer numbers” so was cutting it back to three journeys each way per day, instead of hourly in peak time and every two hours for the rest of the day.

Now A2B will fill the gap, with Stagecoach tickets accepted on the service. Single journeys will be capped at £2.

The Combined Authority has allocated £174,000 per year for the service but expects to recover a proportion of the costs through revenue generated by the route. It is also examining ways to grow use of the service so that more buses can be added to the timetable.

Judith Barker, executive director of place and connectivity, said: “We have acted quickly to subsidise a new service which will go some way to plug the gaps left by Stagecoach. We recognise how important buses are to our residents, helping them to stay connected, get to work, school or college, meet friends and get to health appointments.”

The authority confirmed the No 9 subsidy was in addition to 30 new and improved routes it would be introducing to the region using the money it is getting from tripling the mayoral precept imposed on council tax payers this year, from £12 to £36 for Band D households. A £1 fare for people under 25 years of age will also be introduced in the summer and bus stops and shelters will be improved.

The timetable

Littleport – Ely – Cambridge

06.35 Stagecoach commercial route
09.30 A2B subsidised by CPCA route
11.00 Stagecoach commercial route
12.30 A2B subsidised by CPCA route
14.47 Stagecoach commercial route
16.20 A2B subsidised by CPCA route

Cambridge – Ely – Littleport

07.50 A2B subsidised by CPCA route
09.20 Stagecoach commercial route
10.50 A2B subsidised by CPCA route
13.10 Stagecoach commercial route
14.40 A2B subsidised by CPCA route
17.35 Stagecoach commercial route