Stagecoach East suspends Cambridge Park & Ride services
Stagecoach East has suspended its Cambridge Park & Ride services until further notice.
The bus company said the decision followed talks with local authorities and came in response to national lockdown travel restrictions.
The change, along with other timetable changes affecting the guided busway and other services, came into effect last Sunday (January 24).
Stagecoach East did not explain why its Park & Ride had been selected in particular.
But a spokesperson said: “We have been working alongside the local authorities to implement some temporary changes to our bus timetables in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire starting from Sunday, January 24.
“Due to the national lockdown, travel restrictions and reductions in passenger numbers, Park & Ride services have been temporarily suspended across our Cambridgeshire network.
“All the current Park & Ride sites, except for Milton Park & Ride, will still be served by other routes which have been diverted on our new timetables to collect passengers.
Park & Ride tickets are also being sold on these diverted services so there is no price increase for these passengers. For more information on the new Park & Ride timetables, please visit stagecoachbus.com/promos-and-offers/east/east-covid19-services#tab7.”
At Trumpinton, there will be no diverted services as services A, B and 915 already serve this site.
Edward Leigh, of Smarter Cambridge Transport, said: “It’s a disaster for people who depend on buses and its going to consolidate changes to behaviour.
“When we get back to normal, people will have got used to driving instead and people will have lost trust in the Park & Ride.
“I can understand why it has happened. Stagecoach hasn’t received enough money to cover their costs. The county council has no money to give them. The city council has no money to give them.
“It’s an operation with no money to run it and requires subsidy from somewhere else – Stagecoach can’t be expected to cover all these costs.
“Fundamentally, it is a failure of government because they haven’t given bus operators any certainty.”
The changes in full
• Route 18: The frequency of the service will be reduced to a two hourly off-peak service Monday to Friday and two-hourly all day service on Saturdays. Duplicate school journeys will not operate.
• Route 607: Duplicate school journeys which were in place to offer greater capacity for students will not operate.
• Route 915: There will be a slight timetable change due to a diversion between Foxton and Melbourn.
Cambridge Park & Ride
All services will be suspended but other routes which pass the Park & Ride sites will be diverted into the site to collect passengers, as listed below:
- Citi 4: The route will remain on the current frequency but will be diverted Monday to Sunday into the Madingley Road Park & Ride site during the time that the Park & Ride service would usually operate.
- Newmarket Road Park & Ride: The 06:41 Monday to Friday and 07:41 Saturday journey from Stetchworth to Drummer Street and the 17:49 Monday-Saturday return journey from Drummer Street to Stetchworth will continue to operate.
- Routes 11/12: Both services will be diverted to cover the Newmarket Road Park & Ride site during the time that the Park & Ride service would usually operate. Please note there are no services on Sundays or Bank Holidays.
- There will be no diverted services to cover the Trumpington Park & Ride site as services A, B and 915 are already serving this site.
- Routes 13/13a/13b/X13: These routes will remain on their current frequency but will be diverted Monday to Sunday into the Babraham Road Park & Ride site during the time that the Park & Ride service would usually operate.
- There will be no diverted services to cover the Milton Park & Ride site, so this will not be served during the lockdown.
Guided busway
Service C: This service will be suspended. Passengers wishing to travel between Huntingdon and Trumpington can instead use the B service.
Services A&B: Frequencies will be changed as follows:
Monday to Friday:
• A and B services will run every 15 minutes off-peak between St Ives and Cambridge and every 10 minutes during peak times.
• A buses will run every 30 minutes off-peak between St Ives Marley Road and Cambridge.
• B buses will run every 30 minutes off-peak between Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Cambridge.
Saturday:
• A and B services will run every 15 minutes between St Ives and Cambridge.
• A buses will run every 30 minutes between St Ives Marley Road and Cambridge.
• B buses will run every 30 minutes between Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Cambridge.
Sunday:
• A and B services will run every 30 minutes between St Ives and Cambridge.
• A buses will run every 60 minutes between St Ives Marley Road and Cambridge.
• B buses will run every 60 minutes between Hinchingbrooke Hospital and Cambridge.
Fenstanton
• Route 66: The frequency will be reduced to a two hourly service Monday to Saturday.
• Route 904: Duplicate school journeys which were in place to offer greater capacity for students will not operate.
• Route V5: The last three journeys to Godmanchester from Mondays to Saturdays will run 10 minutes later. Saturday journeys at 18:40/19:40/20:40 to Godmanchester will not operate.
Saturday 05:53 and 06:53 journeys from Godmanchester will run 10 minutes earlier.
Masks must be worn by passengers using public transport services to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
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