The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) Board has approved a tripling of the mayoral precept to fund an £11 million bus improvement package for the region.
The increase – equivalent to £12 to £36 per year for a council tax band-D property – will be used to improve or create dozens of bus routes. Meanwhile, the Board also approved a Budget which includes £3.85 million for reduced bus fares for under-25s.
The Board’s decision was taken after a public consultation in which 52% of the more than 450 residents who responded supported the £36 precept and 70% were willing to pay more better bus services.
Suggested service improvements include new orbital routes from Cambridge and Peterborough and three new demand-responsive transport schemes. These will be reviewed with a decision to be taken later this year.
Mayor Dr Nik Johnson welcomed the support for his vision for better services, which includes £1 single fares for under-25s, which would be half of the general capped fare under the government’s Bus Fare Cap Grant scheme.
He says: “With over 450 full responses to our budget proposals and more than 700 contributions to the bus survey we know how much support there is for better buses across our region.
“That is why I am delighted the Board has agreed this additional investment that is so badly needed.
“Following this decision, we’ll be able to offer more routes and more frequent services, serving far more people more conveniently than is currently the case.
“What’s more, we’re also offering a huge reduction in the price of travel for everyone under the age of 25, with bus fares cut in half to just £1. I’m not in any way indifferent to the long-standing financial challenges which many of our residents find themselves wrestling with daily.
“My argument has always been that the collective benefits of a better bus network vastly outweigh the modest cost to households, less than 10p a day on average, realising £11m of public transport value, unclogging our roads, cleaning up our air, and massively increasing equal access to the wealth of social and economic opportunities that our region presents.”
Darren Roe, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, cautiously welcomed the move.
He says: “This is another great initiative for our customers. We welcome these improvements to the network and are working with the Combined Authority to understand the detail.
“The Mayor is keen to introduce a £1 fare for under-25s. We will very much need to see the detail of this and understand how the scheme will work in practice – for example, it will need some form of ID card and there are important questions around what the new timetables will look like, so we can then figure out how many drivers and vehicles will be required.
“But, in general we are very supportive of all such initiatives to encourage increased bus usage.”
However, he echoed concerns about congestion made last month by his counterpart at local competitor Whippet, Ed Cameron.
Mr Roe adds: “We will continue to raise the matter of congestion because it is crucial to the future of the bus network.
“Congestion inevitably leads to customers’ frustrations that journey times are extended and services cancelled, and this is a daunting challenge for all the elected officials to deal with, but those difficult decisions will need to be taken.
“It is not going away and will only get worse.”
Last week, seven operators united to form a new association to boost services in Cambridgeshire.
The Mayor has spoken of his desire to move towards a franchised bus service in the area – a model supported by Ascendal Group, the parent company of local operator Whippet.
