Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority recently undertook a public consultation on what they described as a “Bus Network Review” (PDF). Note this “consultation” is now closed.
Why?
Cambridge Area Bus Users could not really see the point of spending time and money on these short-term changes, which simply replace one set of partly-unsatisfactory routes and times with a set that’s marginally improved, but which remains straitjacketed by the need to avoid conflicting with “commercial” services. So the revisions don’t necessarily make problems go away, and they won’t until we have franchised services that can combine sections from the current “commercial” and “supported” sectors into one meaningful county-wide network. See our explainer on Franchising.
The Bus Users’ group has been very concerned, for some time, by the limited promotion of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority-supported bus services. This directly links to the use (and, therefore, viability) of these services. This consultation, similarly, did not appear to be directly promoted to the bus passengers it is going to affect (eg at key bus stops).
What constitutes a “network”?
It’s unfortunate – but not unexpected – that the Combined Authority’s concept of a “bus network” extends only to routes and timetables. The continued lack of through fares where connections are to be made (even when these are all under CPCA control) and the continued exclusion of some services from the Multibus* scheme – even when they’re operating Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority-supported services (you would expect signing up for Multibus to be a contractual requirement) – rather diminishes the concept of a “bus network”. Apparently ticketing isn’t thought of as an element of the “bus network”. It definitely is by passengers!
*Some information on the Multibus scheme is available on the hard-to-find TransportCPCA » Home » Buses » Bus tickets page.
Full text of our response
Read/download Cambridge Area Bus Users’ response to the Combined Authority Bus Network Review (PDF).
Update from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Communications Team
Hi there,
I hope this email finds you well.
Thank you for signing up to receive updates on the Bus Network Review engagement.
The public engagement has now closed, and we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to share their views. We received over 1,000 responses from residents across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, providing valuable feedback on the proposed changes to local bus services.
We are now carefully reviewing all of the feedback. This will help us refine the proposals before they are presented to the Combined Authority Board in September.
No decisions have been made at this stage. Members of the Combined Authority Board will consider the revised proposals before deciding on any future changes to the bus network.
We’ll continue to keep you updated as the project progresses and will let you know once the Board has considered the proposals.
Thank you again to everyone who took the time to get involved. Your feedback will play an important role in helping shape the future of local bus services across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Kind regards,
Communications Team
consultations@cambridgeshirepeterborough-ca.gov.uk
Tel: 01480 277180
Cambridge Area Bus Users 