Cambridge guided busway protective fence given go-ahead

Two people have been killed in recent years on a section of the busway in Cambridge

A permanent protective fence has been approved for a stretch of guided busway in Cambridge where two people died.

Since February 2022, the section between Cambridge railway station and Addenbrooke's Hospital has been closed in one direction.

That allowed for a temporary barrier to be put in, but Cambridgeshire County Council will now erect a permanent one.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is taking legal action against the authority.

It followed the deaths of two people who were using the adjacent footpath and cycleway.

Stephen Moir, 50, was killed after being clipped by a bus while overtaking pedestrians on his bike in September 2018.

Then in October 2021, Kathleen Pitts, 52, died after she was struck on the same stretch.

A temporary fence has been installed on parts of the busway following the crashes

At a meeting of the council's highways and transport committee, councillors agreed to spend £920,000 on the new fence.

It will include moveable sections to allow passengers on buses to be evacuated during an emergency.

Speaking prior to the meeting, Alex Beckett, chair of the highways and transport committee, said: "We have designed an innovative solution which we anticipate will allow us to return the busway back to full use.

"We want people to continue cycling, walking, running and using the maintenance track, and to allow buses to operate, so this is the best way forward."