Travellers face three-year wait for new bus service

The mayor will have the final decision about the scheme

There could be a three year wait before a publicly owned bus service operates in a county.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is looking into bus franchising, which would give it the ability to set bus routes in the area.

The authority said that if all goes to plan, it hoped the first services could be begin by September 2027.

An update on progress was provided to members at a meeting of the transport and infrastructure committee meeting this week.

Public consultation

Currently the bus network in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is run by private companies.

Officers at the combined authority said this created “challenges” and services were “not as integrated as they could be”.

While the authority currently subsidises a number of bus routes in the area, it had limited control over most of the network.

It hoped that bus franchising would allow it to specify bus routes, procure services and monitor the network.

Plans for bus franchising are due to continue to be developed and the public will be consulted on the proposals. Ultimately it would be decided the mayor.

The current Mayor, Dr Nik Johnson, is a supporter of franchising, however the next election is due to take place in 2025.

Councillor Tom Sanderson, an independent representative from Huntingdonshire District Council, said he welcomed the plans moving forward.

He said some “critical routes” that people relied upon in his area had been withdrawn for commercial reasons.

Labour councillor Mohammed Jamil, from Peterborough City Council, said the opportunity to move forward with bus franchising was something the combined authority should be “grasping”.

He said: “In Peterborough, the city centre is well looked after, but I have to consider people living in rural Peterborough as well who have not been looked after.

“I for one will be supporting bus franchising.”

Conservative councillor Alan Sharp from East Cambridgeshire District Council, said he had some concerns about how it will all be funded, but said he was in favour of improving bus services.