Passengers face delays as busway speed limit is cut

Bus operator Stagecoach East says safety is a "top priority"

Bus passengers are being warned to prepare for long delays and "significant disruption" as reduced speed limits are put in place on a busway as part of a raft of new safety measures.

The speed limit on Cambridgeshire's guided busway network - where three people have died - has been reduced to a blanket 30mph (48km/h) from Monday.

Bus operator Stagecoach East said safety was a priority, but warned passengers to prepare for delays of up to 45 minutes.

Cambridgeshire County Council, which manages the busway, announced the changes earlier this week as part of an "ongoing commitment" to ensure "safe operation".

The guided busway takes a modified bus along a dedicated track - in some sections currently up to a speed of 56mph (90km/h) - and serves Cambridge, St Ives and Huntingdon.

The council has said the limit would be reduced to 20mph at crossing points.

Jennifer Taylor, Steve Moir and Kathleen Pitts were killed in collisions on the Cambridgeshire Busway between 2015 and 2021.

The county council was fined £6m earlier this year after the deaths and a judge criticised the authority for its "rigid and blinkered response" to the fatalities.

Stagecoach East's Darren Roe said safety was the bus company's "top priority"

In a statement, the county council said: "From Monday (6 October), the speed limit will be lowered to 30mph along the busway and 20mph at crossing points.

"This is temporary until permanent fencing and barriers have been installed across the whole guided busway, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The speed limit will be revised as each section of fencing is completed."

Stagecoach East's managing director, Darren Roe, said: "Safety is our top priority, so we will be implementing the speed limits, in full, from 5 October.

"There will be significant disruption across the whole of the network, as we anticipate additional journey times of up to 45 minutes.

"We will have extra staff out on Monday giving support to customers at key locations."

Mr Roe said passengers should also be aware of "further disruption" from 12 October when a section of the busway, from Trumpington to the station, would be closed to two-way bus traffic.

He added: "We will be putting out as much information as we can about the disruption and timetables on our website, so please use our website and the Stagecoach app to plan your journey and to track your bus."

'Pulled out the stops'

Mr Roe expressed his frustration at the situation, saying the company was given just a few days to prepare for changes that would normally take "approximately three months" to plan.

However, the council said it had been "engaging with the bus operators throughout the introduction of further measures".

A council spokeswoman said: "We spoke to them specifically about the speed limit three weeks ago and reached an agreement with the operators around the planned speed reduction before it was announced."

Responding to that statement, Mr Roe said: "After the decision was confirmed, by Cambridgeshire County Council, only last Wednesday, my team have pulled out all the stops to make our loyal Busway customers' journeys as convenient as they can be."

He said drivers had "changed their personal arrangements to make sure they are available for work" with staff drafted in from other areas of the country and a reserve fleet bring brought back into operation.