The bus routes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough due to be funded by trebling of mayor’s precept
The bus routes that a trebling of the mayoral precept will help pay for across the county have been revealed.
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Labour mayor, Dr Nik Johnson, will increase his portion of the council tax bill so that an average Band D taxpayer would pay £36 this year, up from £12 last year, when the charge was first introduced.
The Combined Authority board met on Wednesday (31 January) and approved the move, despite some Conservative opposition.
The precept rise will also allow bus fares for the under-25s to be capped at £1, the mayor has said.
The tax will generate £11million, but comes amid a cost-of-living crisis and high inflation when households are already struggling with higher bills.
Efforts from Conservative Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, the former leader of Peterborough City Council (PCC), to encourage the mayor to drop the plan were defeated at an overview and scrutiny committee on Monday (29 January).
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.
Here are the proposed bus routes that would be funded through Dr Johnson’s precept.
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 whole route
- Restoration of a direct link from Histon Road to Addenbrookes
East Cambridgeshire
- Develop 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
Integrate 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
Route 66 - improve frequency between Huntingdon and St Neots
To 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 – 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