Voters offered a choice of light rail or focus on buses for Cambridge as candidates share verdict on congestion charge

By Gemma Gardner and Paul Brackley

Candidates in the race to become Cambridgeshire’s next mayor have ruled out introducing a congestion charge to get Cambridge moving – but differ in how they would solve the challenge.

Paul Bristow, the Conservative candidate, favours light rail while Labour’s Anna Smith says a reliable bus service is the best option.

Liberal Democrat Lorna Dupré would explore trams and light rail and Bob Ensch, standing for the Greens, says he would work to expand bus services if elected on 1 May.

Mr Bristow told the Cambridge Independent on Tuesday: “One of the things we might do to get congested roads in Cambridge moving again is to reopen some of these roads and stop putting in measures that make it more difficult to drive around Cambridge. I think that would be a far better solution to ease congestion in Cambridge than a congestion charge.

“Secondly, we need a mass public transport system that is desirable, that people aspire to use, is convenient, that is there every few minutes. I think the only game in town for that is light rail.

“If we’re going to build 100,000 homes, and we’re already congested, it’s only going to get worse. A busway here, extra buses there and a junction alteration over here is not going to cut it. We’ve got to come up with something else – and light rail is the solution to that problem.”

A proposed light rail scheme for Cambridge has been drawn up by the independent small company Cambridge Connect, which has drafted proposals for three lines and a network of stops serving Cambridge and the surrounding 40km region, with a short tunnel in the historic city core and a couple of underground stations. It says this would cost £1.4billion, but could be delivered in stages.

Cllr Smith, who is currently deputy mayor, favours another approach but has agreed there will be no return to consultations on a congestion charge.

She said: “Tackling congestion has got to be about more than penalising drivers. I fully understand that there will always be times where driving is the right choice for people and they should be free to make that choice.

“I believe that the best way to address current congestion on our roads is to give people an alternative that works for them – that means having reliable buses that take people where they need to go.

“We’ve already had huge success with our Tiger on Demand service linking up villages across Cambridgeshire in a way that works for residents. And Labour is already working to improve bus routes, for example creating an orbital route around Cambridge so people don’t need to travel in and back out.”

In September 2023, Cllr Dupré co-signed a public letter opposing Greater Cambridge Partnership proposals for a Cambridge congestion charge alongside four of Cambridgeshire’s Lib Dem Parliamentary candidates and the leader of Cambridgeshire County Council. She said claims “from other candidates about her supporting a congestion charge undermine our democracy and weaken trust in politics”.

“Mud-slinging and misinformation should have no place in our politics,” she told the Cambridge Independent.

Amid public opposition and a lack of political support, the GCP dropped its plans for a congestion charge, which would have funded an upgraded bus network.

Cllr Dupré continued: “To fix our transport problems we need to be ambitious and bold, looking at a broad range of options such as trams, light rail, extending Park & Ride and providing services which are affordable, reliable and effective. People will rely less on cars if and only if there is an attractive and affordable alternative.

“Residents want to see serious solutions to tackle the shoddy state of our roads and public transport deserts, as well as our underfunded NHS and polluted local environment following years of Conservative rule.”

Mr Ensch told the Cambridge Independent that the Greens had no plans to introduce road charging or restrictions.

“If elected, I’d work with county councillors to expand bus services by introducing more buses and more routes which will ease congestion and improve road safety, particularly for cyclists, children, older people, and disabled individuals, while addressing the needs of all road users,” he said.

“As more people use public transport it will free up road space so that very little new infrastructure is required, although I would like to see better bus lanes. Effective communication with and education of the public will be essential.”

Ryan Coogan, mayoral candidate for Reform UK, stressed the importance of being realistic about the challenges and the need for a well-funded and effective plan for transport in Cambridgeshire. He told the Cambridge Independent: “Coming out with some sort of unfunded, unreasonable plan is not effective. The key is making it work.

“My view on light rail? It sounds like a fantastic soundbite. The cost – how is it going to be funded? I can’t make those promises.”

Congestion continues to hold up people travelling around the city every day, with Stagecoach East announcing last month that it had been forced to adjust its busway timetables to get through the traffic in Cambridge.

In February, the current mayor, Labour’s Dr Nik Johnson, announced he will franchise the region’s bus network. However, how franchising will be funded is yet to be determined.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) that he leads says it will develop a funding model with a mix of potential sources, including bus fares, the transport levy made up of contributions from Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, the mayoral precept, and government funding and grants.

The Combined Authority is committed to a 15 per cent reduction in car mileage by 2030, as well as ensuring at least 50 per cent of all journeys in the cities and towns are made by walking, wheeling or cycling. Work is also under way on a transport strategy for Greater Cambridge and the Combined Authority says the next update will come in June.

Its Local Transport and Connectivity Plan, which covers the whole area and was approved in November 2023, acknowledges that there will be situations where it is “necessary to actively discourage private car use”.

“It is recognised that fiscal measures could be used to help manage demand and/or generate revenue that can be used to support other sustainable transport measures,” the plan states.

Voters heading to the polls will also elect county councillors.