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The 18 Cambridgeshire bus services under review by Combined Authority – and the 51 with funding secured to 2025




Eighteen bus services in Cambridgeshire are to be reviewed before further funding for them is agreed, while money for 51 others to continue until March 2025 has been agreed.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is examining all of the bus services it subsidises to “make sure the investment is of best value and is supporting communities”.

Dr Nik Johnson, the Labour mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority in Ely. Picture: Keith Heppell
Dr Nik Johnson, the Labour mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority in Ely. Picture: Keith Heppell

In the longer term, it is expected to pursue bus franchising to deliver public transport reform in the county.

Some of the routes were those it stepped in to fund when Stagecoach East announced a round of cuts to services last year that the bus company found to be commercially unviable.

The authority has a budget of about £7.6million to use towards bus services, partly funded through the mayoral precept that was added to the council tax bill this year, charging the average Band D taxpayer £12 a year.

A paper presented to the Combined Authority’s transport and infrastructure committee on Wednesday (September 13), set out the 51 services it proposes to extend contracts for until March 2025 without changes, and 18 that need further review so they could “better serve communities”.

A further seven services have yet to be assessed as the authority has said more information is needed.

The Combined Authority is also proposing to extend the Ting contract to March 2024, and for a review of the service to be undertaken. East Cambridgeshire District Council’s Conservative leader Cllr Anna Bailey has warned the authority that the taxi-style on-demand bus service could never be rolled out to other areas in the county due to the huge operational costs.

Cllr Anna Bailey, the Conservative leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council leader. Picture: Keith Heppell
Cllr Anna Bailey, the Conservative leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council leader. Picture: Keith Heppell

“It’s the single most expensive, subsidised bus service at £425,000 a year, operating in an area that already has three scheduled bus services anyway,” Cllr Bailey has said.

A final decision on whether to continue or review the services is expected to be made by the Combined Authority board on Wednesday, September 20.

Huntingdonshire district councillor Cllr Sam Wakeford (Lab, Huntingdon North) said it was important the services were not only funded, but were also reliable - an issue he pointed out was being raised by passengers.

Officers agreed and said they were working with operators on the issue.

Cambridge city councillor Anna Smith (Lab, Coleridge) said that alongside reviewing the existing routes that were being funded, she would also like the authority to look at areas where there are currently no services.

A bus in Cambridge. Picture: Keith Heppell.
A bus in Cambridge. Picture: Keith Heppell.

Fenland district councillor Chris Seaton (Con,Leverington and Wisbech Rural) stressed the importance of the Combined Authority talking with parish councils about bus services to gain a better understanding of what is required.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s Labour mayor, Dr Nik Johnson, said he hoped the recommendation to the board to continue the 51 services, and to review some of the others would help them into a “direction of travel that really begins to deliver”.

However, he also said he was “not naive” and recognised the “huge amount of challenges we still have with certain services”. He said the authority was listening and said they were “building a narrative here that will deliver if we all work together”.

Routes recommended to continue:

8: Cambridge – Dry Drayton – Papworth Everard
1A: St Ives – Bar Hill
114: Cambridge City Centre – Grafton – Beehive – Addenbrooke’s
Ely Zipper 2: Ely – Chatteris
125: Ely – Little Downham
9A: Ely City Circular
56: March – Manea/Benwick
16A: Gt Thurlow – Cambridge
46A: Newmarket – Dullingham – Linton
02: St Ives – Chatteris – March
400: Huntingdon – Spaldwick – Kimbolton – Huntingdon
15: Haslingfield – Bassingbourn – Royston
401:Huntingdon – Leighton Bromswold – Huntingdon
101: Whittlesford – Duxford – Saffron Walden
11: Cambridge – Burwell – Newmarket
19: Landbeach – Cambridge
117: Ely – Upware
199: Cambridge Newnham
C2: St Neots – Longstowe – Orwell – Arrington – Croydon – The Hatleys
68: Horse Fair – Tesco
47: Brinkley – Dullingham – Newmarket
5A: Longstanton – Swavsey
129: Ely – Brandon Creek
X2: Huntingdon – Papworth Everard – Cambridge Biomedical Campus
62: Peterborough City Centre – Maxey
112: Newmarket – Soham – Ely
56: Wisbech – Manea
26: Cambridge – Royston
21: St Ives – Somersham – Ramsey
31: Peterborough – Ramsey
50: Wisbech – Long Sutton
63: Peterborough – Keys Park
18: Cambridge – Cambourne – St Neots
Ely Zipper: Ely – Witcham
902: Newmarket – Kirtling – Cheveley – Newmarket
PR1: Cambridge City Centre – Madingley Road Park and Ride
204: Isleham – Snailwell – Newmarket
904: Newmarket – Dullingham – Brinkley – Newmarket
6: Wisbech – March
4: Parnwell – City Hospital
61: Peterborough City Centre – Newark Sainsbury’s
X3: Cambridge – Papworth Everard – Huntingdon
903: Dullingham – Newmarket
901: Ashley – Cheveley – Newmarket
V4: St Ives – Fenstanton – Boxworth
2: Paston – Bretton
3: Bretton – Park Farm
5: Welland – Yaxley
6: Peterborough – Hampton
1: Orton – Werrington
66/X3: Huntingdon – St Neots

Services where further review is recommended:

7A: Duxford – Whittlesford – Sawston – Whittlesford – Duxford
8A: Cottenham – Chatteris – March
29: Peterborough City Hospital – Hampton
15: Over – St Ives
31: Cambridge – Fowlmere – Barley
18: Newmarket – Fulbourn – Teversham – Newmarket Road Park and Ride
301: St Ives – Somersham – Ramsey
22A: St Ives – Somersham – Woodhurst
415: Peterborough – Upwood
75: Cambridge – Orwell – Wrestlingworth
65: St Neots – The Offords – Buckden
33A: March Town Service
17: Royston – Bassingbourn – Guilden Morden
150: St Neots – Kimbolton – Tilbrook
12: Newmarket – Fordham – Soham – Stuntney – Ely
19: Haverhill – Linton – Burrough Green
61: Eynesbury – St Neots – Eaton Ford/Eaton Socon – St Neots – Eynesbury
305: Huntingdon – Ramsey – Chatteris
Ting: West Huntingdonshire Demand Responsive Transport

Services requiring further information before an assessment can be completed:

Citi4: Cambridge – Cambourne
22: St Ives – Pidley – Warboys
23: Peterborough Queensgate – Lynch Wood
110: Ely – Cottenham – Impington
203: Newmarket – Isleham
22X: St Ives – Pidley
23A: Peterborough Queensgate – Lynch Wood



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