The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is considering withdrawing a number of bus services across the county.
A number of bus services in Cambridgeshire could be cut under proposals put forward by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. Some of the services subsidised by the authority have been highlighted for potential withdrawal following a review.
These include the 13B Nosterfield End to Linton, the 19A Cambridge to Landbeach, the 117 and 129 Ely to Upware and Ely to Black Horse Drove, and the 65 St Neots to Buckden. However, councillors argued that the public should be consulted before any decision is made on whether to cut these services.
A report published by the Combined Authority said it currently budgets to spend £15.5million a year on providing bus journeys. Last year the authority approved a framework to review the bus services it pays for to help decide whether any should be withdrawn or altered.
The report said the 13B service is proposed to be withdrawn after it “scored poorly” on the framework assessment. It said the service currently provides one journey a day in a single direction towards Linton and is currently costing £98.47 per passenger. The report also highlighted that there is another service that travels in the same direction, but starting around an hour later.
The 19A service is proposed to be withdrawn as the report said its route is duplicated by the 100 service that started last year and is funded by developer contributions.
The report said the 65 service and the 117 and 129 are proposed to be withdrawn, but integrated with the existing Tiger on Demand services in the area.
Councillor Katie Thornburrow (Labour), representative from Cambridge City Council, asked how long the developer contributions would be funding the 100 service, raising concerns that she did not want to see it “suddenly” end if the 19A is cut.
Councillor Sam Wakeford (Labour), representative from Huntingdonshire District Council, asked whether a three-year suspension of the 19A service could be considered, delaying a final decision on whether to cut the service in case the 100 service ends when the developer funding runs out.
Councillor Chris Boden (Conservative), chair of the committee, said this was an “interesting suggestion” to consider. Cllr Boden did question whether integrating the 65 service and the 117 and 129 in the Tiger on Demand would impact the existing Tiger services.
Councillor Alan Sharp (Conservative), representative from East Cambridgeshire District Council, also raised concerns about the changes potentially “overloading” the Tiger services. Officers said this is a “risk”, but said it is a possible solution that can be provided for passengers.
Councillor Alex Beckett (Liberal Democrat), representative from Cambridgeshire County Council, said he was concerned they were being asked to consider cutting the services before any public consultation had taken place. He said: “My biggest concern above all else is cutting these without engaging with the communities first is incredibly dangerous.”
Cllr Beckett also raised concerns about the way proposed bus cuts were being brought forward. He said there seemed to be a “drip, drip, drip of bus cuts” which he said “massively undermines confidence in our buses”. The committee ultimately agreed to recommend to the Board that there should be engagement with the public before a decision on the withdrawal is considered.
Changes to other bus services subsidised by the Combined Authority have also been proposed. In East Cambridgeshire, the 12, 16A, 18, 19, 46A, 47, 203, 204, 901, 902, 903, and 904 are proposed to be revised into two new services.
The proposed 78 service would be a peak-time service offering two return journeys between Isleham, Chippenham, Snailwell, Newmarket, Cheveley, Saxon Street, Little Ditton, Woodditton, Sketchworth, Dullingham, Burrough Green, Brinkley, Willingham Green, Weston, Colville, West Wratting, Balsham, Fulbourn Tesco, and Addenbrookes Hospital.
The second proposed new service, the 79, would be a daytime service approximately every 120 minutes.
This service is proposed to go between Newmarket Tesco, Newmarket, Cheveley, Saxon Street, Little Ditton, Wooditton, Sketchworth, Dullingham, Burrough Green, Carlton and Carlton Green or Brinkley, Willingham Green and Weston Colville, West Wratting, Balsham, West Wickham, Horseheath, Linton, Bartlow, Shudy Camps, Castle Camp, Nosterfield End, and Haverhill.
In South Cambridgeshire, the X75 service is proposed to offer “improved connections to Wrestlingworth, Tadlow and Wimpole, for Cambridge.
In Fenland, the 46, 56 and T7 are proposed to be revised into two new routes, the 55 from Wisbech, Guyhirn, March, Benwick, and Ramsey; and the 56 from Wisbech, Friday Bridge, March, Christchurch, Manea, and Chatteris.
The report said services in the St Ives area are proposed to be reviewed to ‘improve usage of resources’. A number of recommendations have also been made for changes to the Tiger routes, including merging some services. The committee agreed to recommend to the Board that they should engage with the public on the proposed changes.
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