A blanket speed limit of 30mph has been imposed on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway in a move that has drawn criticism from operator Stagecoach East, which claims that journey times could be extended by up to 45 minutes.
Cambridgeshire County Council introduced the change from 6 October, with a 20mph limit at crossing points. It is part of work to “ensure… safe operation” of the Busway. In April, the local authority was fined £6 million following three deaths between 2015 and 2021 where people were hit by buses.
The reduced speed limit is temporary until fencing and barriers are installed across the whole Busway. Completion of that task is expected by the end of 2026.
Installation of fencing on the southern section of the Busway commenced on 12 October, for which one lane has been closed. On the northern part, a section in both directions will be taken out of use off-peak Monday to Friday between 13 October and 7 November.
A 1.5-mile section on the northern part of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway has already seen its speed limit reduced from 50mph to 30mph to reduce risk to pedestrians crossing.
Engagement with bus operators was undertaken ahead of the new speed limits being announced, Cambridgeshire County Council says. However, Stagecoach East Managing Director Darren Roe has used a YouTube video posted on the group’s channel to criticise the move.
Mr Roe is “extremely frustrated” about it and says that operators had only four days to respond to the decision. The local authority denies that and says it is “disappointed” with the criticism, claiming that discussions opened around three weeks ago.
While confirming that Stagecoach East buses will observe the revised limits “in full,” Mr Roe cautions customers that they will lead to “significant disruption” across the Busway network. Buses had been able to travel at up to 56mph previously.
Cambridgeshire County Council has advised bus passengers to allow extra time for their journeys on the Guided Busway. It notes that the reduction in speed limits “will enable potential risks we have identified with pedestrians crossing to be further reduced.”
To mitigate the extended journey times, Stagecoach says it will be bringing members of its reserve fleet back into operation at “considerable cost,” a move that Mr Roe says has seen some engineers cancel planned leave to deliver.
He adds that the operator’s staff are working as hard as possible to minimise disruption to passengers. “I would like to put on record my thanks for their efforts. I have drivers who have changed their personal arrangement to make sure they are available for work. Teams have been drafted in from other areas of the country to help.”
The operator thus has 10 extra drivers, an extra controller, three additional ticket sellers and four further staff members to assist Busway customers.
