The Greater Cambridge Partnership proposals
Better bus services and a Sustainable Travel Zone
Recent bus service withdrawals had people worrying how they would get to work or college. And it necessitated a breakneck scramble to find new operators by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Together with the continuing disruption caused by cancellations, this rather makes the case for democratic control over bus operators.
We need better reliability, more services, and more affordable fares.
The Greater Cambridge Partnership’s City Access proposals are riding to the rescue
If you want safe walking and cycling, reliable buses and a positive future for everyone, make your voice heard today!
The Greater Cambridge Partnership have promised £50 million annually for radically-improved bus services, funded by money from the city deal, signed with central government in 2014 and not from council tax or business rates.
But, longer-term, this money will run out and a sustainable revenue-stream will be required. Under national legislation, this will be legally ring-fenced for transport improvements.
And public money must be safeguarded: the benefits should be for bus passengers, not for bumper payouts to bus company shareholders (and foreign owners in some cases).
The GCP is working closely with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority who can exercise powers (under the Bus Services Act 2017) to prevent bus operators ever again causing such disruption to people’s lives.
More about the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s potential powers
The Bus Services Act 2017 – passed under a Conservative government, with all-party support – provides Mayoral Combined Authorities (including the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority) with a number of options to improve bus services, including powers to implement bus franchising, akin to the system operated by Transport for London.
Full details and links to publications can be found here: Bus Franchising, Quality Partnerships, and other ways of Improving bus services
Making Connections Consultation
The Greater Cambridge Partnership has launched a City Access Public Consultation under the title Making Connections 2022.
How should Cambridge Area Bus Users members and supporters respond?
Take a look at this handy 5-minute Consultation response guide, compiled by the Cambridge Sustainable Travel Alliance.
Cambridge Area Bus Users’ secretary has been working closely with the other members of the Cambridge Sustainable Travel Alliance (mainly Camcycle and Cambridge Living Streets) to raise awareness of the Greater Cambridge Partnership proposals and to compile this Consultation response guide.
Bus Users group contributions to this Consultation response guide are taken from our Aims & Priorities document (PDF). In general, The GCP proposals are in line with what we set out in that 2019 document: more services, better frequencies, lower fares and improved reliability.
However, whilst that document called for operators and local authorities to co-operate on reliability (which implies tackling congestion) and for the GCP to generate funding for unprofitable routes, we have no existing policy on a congestion charge. It was, therefore, not possible to contribute a Cambridge Area Bus Users’ view on that aspect of the consultation. You will need to make up your own mind.
What are the Greater Cambridge Partnership proposing?
- Transforming the bus network: From as early as mid-2023, The GCP are proposing to transform the bus network through more services to more locations, with cheaper fares set at £1 (city zone) and £2 (wider area).
- Investing in other sustainable travel schemes: Alongside the bus network, the GCP areproposing to invest in new sustainable travel schemes, such as better walking and cycling links.
- Creating a Sustainable Travel Zone: The GCP areproposing the introduction of a Sustainable Travel Zone in the form of a road user charge on behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council. Vehicles would be charged for driving within the Zone between 7am and 7pm on weekdays, and money raised would fund improvements to the bus network and other sustainable travel schemes. The Zone would be fully operational in 2027/28 but only once the first bus improvements are introduced.
The proposals will see:
- Double the hours of service and miles covered of the pre-pandemic Greater Cambridge bus network
- £1 flat fares for single journeys in the Cambridge bus zone, and £2 fares in the wider area
- 50% expected reduction of traffic in Cambridge
Full details are in the Greater Cambridge Partnership Making Connections booklet (PDF).
How can you help?
It is important that as many bus users as possible give their views on the Greater Cambridge Partnership proposals, before the consultation closes on Friday 23 December 2022.
Complete it yourself and encourage your spouse/partner, your teenage children, your parents and your neighbours to give their views.
It’s easy:
- Take a look at the Greater Cambridge Partnership Making Connections booklet (PDF).
- Read through the Cambridge Sustainable Travel Alliance 5-minute Consultation response guide.
- Decide what you the Making Connections 2022 website and make your views known.
You don’t need to live within the Greater Cambridge boundaries. If you and/or a member of your household uses buses to travel in and around Cambridge, the survey needs your views.
Get involved in promoting sustainable travel!
Cambridge Sustainable Travel Alliance needs individual supporters who can help promote the campaign.
Contact Cambridge Sustainable Travel Alliance by email to find out more.
- Could you tell your story about how poor bus services have impacted on your life?
- Could you tell people about how better bus services would improve your life?
- The CSTA team need online stories, stories for press releases and stories for online videos.
- Could you help distribute the IF NOT NOW THEN WHEN? leaflets around your streets, your village or join other members, leafleting in the city centre, or other locations?
Cambridge Area Bus Users 