Tag: sustainable travel

Greater Cambridge Growth: Planning for Bus Services

Greater Cambridge Shared Planning invited representations on the draft update to the Greater Cambridge Local Plan. Cambridge Area Bus Users collaborated closely with Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance to scrutinise the policies’ provision for sustainable and active travel.

Cambridge Area Bus Users was particularly concerned about Policy I/ST – Sustainable Transport and connectivity. In our view this policy is ineffective in ensuring that new developments are highly permeable by buses.

(Note: Greater Cambridge Shared Plannning is the Shared Planning Service between Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council. It is not the same body as Greater Cambridge Partnership which is the delivery body for the devolved City Deal signed in 2014)

Our PDF – New Developments – street layout for efficient bus operation – is based on our response to the Greater Cambridge Local Plan. It draws heavily on advice contained in two publications:

Below are some excerpts from our supporting evidence.

How not to create a new development: (1) Bar Hill, established in the 1960s

Map of Bar Hill

Bar Hill, established in the 1960s, SW of what was, at the time, the A604 Cambridge – Huntingdon road was a missed opportunity for bus permeability. In particular the possibility of being served by attractive, fast, Cambridge – Bar Hill – Huntingdon services, was lost as a result of the car-centric layout of an orbital distributor road with residential culs-de-sacs. This imposes an unattractive, loop service on the bus operator, with a time penalty of around 10 minutes to access, loop and exit the settlement. Albeit there is a network of footways throughout the village, to encourage active travel, the highway layout is fundamentally flawed in failing to plan for attractive bus services.

How not to create a new development: (2) Cambourne, established in the late 1990s

Construction of Cambourne, situated south of the A428 and east of the A1198, began in June 1998, with the first house occupied in August 1999. The road layout exemplifies the gratuitous curves and tight bends with poor visibility which should be avoided in planning for bus permeability in new developments.

Map of Cambourne

With only northern (A428) and western (A1198) entry/egress to the ‘super village’, Stagecoach East’s service 4 must follow a difficult and indirect pair of loops, to serve Great Cambourne and Upper Cambourne, as shown on the route map, below.

Map of Cambourne, showing route of Stagecoach citi 4

Passengers travelling to/from Cambridge thus have much slower services because of the lack of planning for any direct, east-west bus priority route through the settlement. The time penalty disadvantage of the sub-optimal nature of bus route 4 further imposes costs on the bus operator, threatening the sustainability of the service. Furthermore, the southernmost parts of the settlement are not served by buses, leaving residences in Jeavons Lane and Whittle Way some considerable distance (600m – 800m) from the nearest bus stop.

Additionally, the smooth operation of Stagecoach’s route 4 and the two through services – Whippet’s routes 18 and X3 – are hampered by the gratuitous curves, tight bends and poorly regulated car parking on the shared section along School Lane and Broad Street.

A positive exemplar: Waterbeach New Town, being constructed 2020s

central-connect-bus-service-waterbeach

The Waterbeach new town development of around 11,000 homes, being built on the site of the former Waterbeach Barracks and Airfield, has been designed to prioritise active travel and public transport from the start. The western sector of the development is led by Urban&Civic as the master developer and has included a Sustainable Travel Hub, installed ready for the arrival of the first residents, and an initially half-hourly shuttle bus service connecting to Waterbeach Station, the Science Park, and Cambridge city centre [Waterbeach website: Connections]. Phase 2 will include a “bus only main link” through the site, connecting destinations including schools, a health facility and a new town centre [Waterbeach website, news blog, 19 May 2026].

For the full details of our submission see – New Developments – street layout for efficient bus operation – which is based on our response to the Greater Cambridge Local Plan.

For more on the Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance’s objections see: Travel Alliance’s objections to the Local Plan.

Combined Authority Must Invest in Improved Bus Services

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is holding an additional bus franchising consultation. Changes to how buses would be brought under local control are proposed, in large part as a consequence of Mayor Paul Bristow’s decision to freeze the Mayoral precept (the portion of council tax the Mayor levies). The Travel Alliance urges you to respond to the consultation questionnaire calling for increased investment by the Combined Authority in buses and an expanded public transport network.

Image from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority of two buses in the 'Tiger' colours.

Unless the move to franchising is accompanied by increased investment in the bus network, at or exceeding the level originally proposed, the Combined Authority is highly unlikely to succeed in reversing recent cuts and bringing about the expanded, attractive, high-quality bus network our communities require. The Authority must investigate all possible options for increasing bus funding, then move quickly to bring in measures so investment can be increased before the bus funding gap increases, and services are cut. The transition to franchising and increased investment in public transport is all the more necessary as extensive growth is planned across the region. Investing in the bus network is critical to spread access to opportunities more equally and ensure the road network can accommodate the increase in journeys which growth will bring.

The Mayor’s decision to freeze the Mayoral Council Tax Precept has led to a significant change in the financial assumptions underlying the original franchising business case. The previously planned Mayoral Precept increase for an average Band D household from the current 10p/day to 16.5p/day by 2032 and 20p/day in 30 years time is much lower than the amount of Council Tax currently levied by the Police and Crime Commissioner (86p/day), and by the Fire Authority (25p/day). It is also lower (in some cases much lower) than many parish precepts: South Cambridgeshire’s parish precepts, for example, are currently as much as 53.5p/day (Great Shelford) with a South Cambridgeshire average of 26.5/day.

Cambridge Area Bus Users collaborated with Cambridgeshire Sustainable Travel Alliance to produce a guide to the Combined Authority’s Bus Franchising Supplementary Consultation

The full guide can be found on the Travel Alliance website: Consultation guide – Don’t miss your chance to call for more investment in buses.

How many stops before I get off?

Great News for Cambridge Area Bus Passengers! Audiovisual Next-Stop Announcements Are Now the Law

If you’ve been travelling by bus in and around Cambridge recently, you should have noticed more buses announcing and displaying the next stop.

Under the Public Service Vehicles (Accessible Information) Regulations 2023, bus operators across Great Britain are now legally required to provide both audible and visible next-stop and route information on all local buses. This is a win for accessibility, making bus travel in the Cambridge area more reassuring for visually or hearing-impaired passengers, tourists, and everyday commuters alike.

Example of an on-bus high-quality next-stop screen displaying Route: U1 Upcoming Stops Battersby Close Harbury Lane University Of Warwick Time: 11:35 Photo credit: Stagecoach Midlands
Not all screens will be as good as this!

Exemptions:

  • The regulations do not apply to demand-responsive transport services, such as Tiger-On-Demand, because it is impractical when the route and stopping places are not pre-defined.
  • Services operated by minibuses (vehicles designed to carry 16 or fewer passengers) are exempt from providing accessible information.

Here is Cambridge Area Bus Users‘ focus:

1. Monitoring Compliance across Cambridge

Although the law is now in full effect, equipment isn’t helpful if it’s muted, switched off, or glitching. We will be actively monitoring services across local bus operators. If you’ve travelled on a bus with faulty or inactive audiovisual announcements, please report it to the bus operator. See our Information: Operators page for contact details. Whenever possible email the operator and copy us in to the email on contact.cabu@gmail.com.

2. Pushing Beyond Basic Compliance in the Forthcoming Franchised Network

As Greater Cambridge heads toward a franchised bus network, basic next-stop announcements should only be the starting point. We want to see rich, contextual passenger information – especially at key hubs. Imagine hearing:

Next Stop: Addenbrooke’s Hospital. Interchange here for Route 13 towards Linton/Haverhill and Route 7 towards Sawston.

3. Feasibility of Real-Time Connection Screens

Why stop at static announcements? Some systems around the world are starting to adopt dynamic onboard displays that show live real-time arrival countdowns for connecting services at upcoming interchanges. (See this slideshow from Hong Kong.) We believe the Cambridge area – world renowned for its technological expertise – deserves similar forward-thinking changes as part of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s bus franchising vision.

What has been your experience with next-stop announcements on Cambridge area buses lately?

Have they been working well, or are there routes where compliance is falling short?

You are welcome to help us compile data to monitor compliance, using this email link: Bus AV Announcement Compliance. Note, however, that we cannot take up complaints on your behalf. For more information, see our Making a Complaint about Bus Services page.

Bus Stops: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

At the July 2026 Cambridge Area Bus Users Annual General Meeting, there was considerable discussion about the poor state of bus stop infrastructure in the Cambridge area. The Executive Committee resolved to create a post about this to inform the membership.

Let’s start with the good

Just an unremarkable stop. What’s special about that?

As caption and subsequent text
Stanley Road (outbound) 0500CCITY165 (outside Aldi, Newmarket Road, Cambridge). Click the image to explore on Google Maps.

At first glance this is an unremarkable stop. There are, however, a number of features which suggest that whoever commissioned and installed the infrastructure was actually thinking about the needs of bus passengers.

This stop is provided with a shelter, with integral seating, set back at the edge of the highway boundary. A bus stop flag has been mounted on an adjacent street-lighting column. Real-time passenger information, of e-paper type, powered by a solar panel, is installed close to the shelter at the upstream end. A lockable case contains printed route/timetable information. There are no obstructions for passengers boarding/alighting. Litter bins are well-sited. A raised kerb aids easy boarding/alighting, which is of particular benefit to wheelchair-using passengers and parents with children in buggies.

Now a selection of the bad

What’s so bad about that? There’s a shelter.

As caption and subsequent text
Eland Way (NaPTAN 0500STEVE013) towards Addenbrooke’s and city (left) and (NaPTAN 0500STEVE016) towards Tesco and Fulbourn (right) on Gazelle Way Fulbourn/Cherry Hinton. Click the image to explore on Google Maps.

Addenbrooke’s and city-bound passengers benefit from a shelter with integrated seating and hardstanding, whilst Fulbourn-bound passengers have no shelter. Both stops benefit from timetable cases, although the city-bound timetable is cunningly hidden the wrong side of the lamp-post. However neither stop could be considered accessible. Reaching the stop on the left involves slithering down a grassy bank; the stop on the right additionally involves the hazard of crossing a 40mph road with no pedestrian crossing.

Another one with a shelter? Are we being picky?

As caption and subsequent text
Almoners’ Avenue (NaPTAN 0500CCITY267) on Queen Edith’s Way towards Cherry Hinton. Click the image to explore on Google Maps.

There is, indeed, a shelter, with hardstanding and integrated seating, and a printed timetable in a locked case. However, neither the contractors nor whoever commissioned the infrastructure seem to have considered where passengers would board, or alight from, buses. The adjacent patch of parched, dry soil is fine for able-bodied passengers in good weather.

When that patch is wet, muddy and slippery, it is a hazard for all passengers, but particularly those using wheelchairs or other mobility aids.

PS: explore this stop on Google Maps. Should it now be in the ‘Ugly’ category?

And the ugly

Ah, point taken.

As caption and subsequent text
The bus stop infrastructure at Gwydir Street stop (towards Addenbrooke’s, NaPTAN 0500CCITY404) on Cambridge’s Mill Road. Click the image to explore on Google Maps.

The shelter has a broken roof, is covered in graffiti and fly-posting. The pole supporting the adjacent real-time passenger information display also hosts a timetable case, which is empty and graffitied. We are uncertain who is responsible for this shelter…

Who is responsible for our bus stops?

Responsibility for bus stops in the Cambridge area is split between various bodies. Here is brief digest:

  • Cambridgeshire County Council (the Highway Authority) is the body which has traditionally approved the siting of bus stops – although the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is now the Transport Authority, so there are overlapping responsibilities.
  • Bus stop locations should then be entered on the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN) database.
  • The Combined Authority and/or Highway Authority is responsible  for providing good hard-standing for bus stops; and should provide a bus-stop pole, unless an adjacent street-lighting column can be used.
  • Provision of a bus stop flag is, currently, the responsibility of the bus operator, as is a timetable case and printed timetable.
  • Real-Time Passenger Information displays (pole-mounted, integral within a shelter, or of the more modern, compact e-paper type), if provided, is the responsibility of the Combined Authority. The RTPI feed is operated by contractor Vix Technology on behalf of the Combined Authority.
  • Bus shelters are, generally, the responsibility of the lower-tier authorities (eg Cambridge City Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council) who may have agreements with advertising companies (eg Bauer Media Outdoor UK, formerly Clear Channel/JC Decaux) which provide and maintain some shelters (in return for the right to sell static or moving advertisements). Additionally Parish Councils may choose to install shelters and seating. (Good examples can be found in the Histon & Impington and Great Shelford parishes.)
  • However, when roads are re-modelled (Hills Road, Histon Road, Milton Road) using Greater Cambridge Partnership money it is unclear who has responsibility for design of siting of stop and shelters.
  • Cambridge Area Bus Users is not aware of the existence of any bus stop design manual published or followed by the Combined Authority to guide new installations, or programmes of improvement.

How did it come to this?

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority have a poor inheritance, from when Cambridgeshire County Council were the Transport Authority.

Back in April 2019, a (then) senior county councillor and (then) public transport officer, explained that:

Bus stop locations are the decision of the county council in consultation with bus operators and are then entered on the National Public Transport Access Nodes (NaPTAN) database. A pole may be provided where a convenient piece of street furniture, such as a street lighting column, is not available. It is the responsibility of the operator to mount their flag on the pole. Timetable frame and flag are installed by the bus operator. Only about half the stops have a flag, the rest are unmarked.

It was only on 15th November 2023, following public questions on behalf of Cambridge Area Bus Users, that the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s Transport & Infrastructure Committee agreed that:

(7.2.e) The CPCA would go through an options process to understand what was the right approach for a combined authority to take in regard to ownership and maintenance of bus stop infrastructure.

Translation: The Combined Authority know the locations of bus tops (from the NaPTAN database) but we’ve no real idea what’s installed at each location: pole? bus stop flag? timetable case?shelter? seat? Oh, and we don’t really know who installed what, still less who is responsible for maintaining what.

The Deputy Mayor at that time, Anna Smith, did promise that there would be a nominated officer charged with oversight of bus stop infrastructure. See: Transport & Infrastructure Committee Draft Minutes Wednesday 15th November 2023.

Positive developments

At the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Transport Committee on 4th March 2026 a programme of Bus Stop Infrastructure Improvements was agreed.

To see if there are improvements planned for a bus stop which you use, read/download the Bus Stop/Shelter Infrastructure Improvements programme PDF produced by Systra for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. The criteria for selection can be found in this report to the committee: Bus Stop/Shelter Infrastructure Improvements Report.

What standards do Cambridge Area Bus Users think Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority should be aiming for?

The October 2023 joint position paper from Cambridge Area Bus Users and Living Streets, Cambridge has a good summary of our views. Additional links are provided for those who would like to read more.

The (un)reliability of RTPI and the lack of printed timetable

  • Our Executive Committee diligently report failures of the RTPI system – both of hardware and data.
  • We are looking, more strategically, on why some services do not seem to track, or to give a realistic estimate of bus arrival times.
  • A survey of printed information (or the lack thereof) at key locations is also being undertaken.
  • Our Executive Committee member for St Ives has worked with others to produce an information leaflet and vastly improved printed information in and around St Ives Bus Station.

All of these will form the subject of forthcoming posts.

Combined Authority Bus Network Review

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

Queen Edith’s Roadworks: Bus Diversions 8 July – 9 August

Significant diversions for citi 1 & citi 2

Cambridge Area Bus Users note, from Causeway one.network, that a road closure has been granted for Cadent Gas from Mon 08/07/24 on Queen Edith’s Way, Cambridge between the Fendon Road roundabout and Wulfstan Way. As a result Stagecoach’s citi1/citi2 will be on diversionary routes.

map showing road closure from Fendon Road roundabout to Wulfstan Way
Closure from Fendon Road roundabout to Wulfstan Way

Stagecoach have posted a service update. Following contact with their Cowley Road staff, we can conform these diversionary routes:

  • citi 1 be using Mowbray Road (A1134), Cherry Hinton Road, Wulfstan Road and Queen Edith’s Way between Fendon Road and Cherry Hinton High Street (Robin Hood junction)
  • citi 2 will be using Mowbray Road (A1134) and Cherry Hinton Road between Fendon Road and Walpole Road

The map, below, should help make these diversions clearer.

Non-interactive map showing diversions as described above.
Click the image to view a larger version in a new tab

Electric buses in Cambridge are quite safe, actually…

As readers might have guessed, this is not the Daily Mail headline, which read…

EXCLUSIVE Britain’s e-bus ticking timebomb: How nearly TWO THOUSAND electric buses worth £800m face urgent recall over fears they could see burst into flames

If you really wish to read the inaccurate, misleading nonsense from Darren Boyle (2 March 2024) in the Daily Mail click here.

If you’d rather check out facts, then click through to this on-line government publication: Investigation into bus fires reported to DVSA from 2020 to 2022, DVSA, 20 July 2023

RouteOne a trade publication, gave a balanced report Fix for potential BYD ADL battery-electric bus recall ‘in hand’ in which they remarked upon…

 … a hysterical report in the Daily Mail claiming uncited fears that affected buses “could see [sic] burst into flames.”
…
The Mail also quoted FairFuelUK founder and Reform UK candidate for the London mayoral election Howard Cox as claiming that taxpayers will “have to fund these expensive buses being taken off the road.”

op cit, routeone Team, March 6, 2024

And the facts?

Alexander Dennis has issued a safety bulletin to operators of BYD ADL Enviro200EV and Enviro400EV battery-electric buses in relation to a potential recall issue around the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in some of those vehicles.
…
An under-development permanent fix will be introduced to deal with the problem. DVSA’s recall listing service shows that it affects 1,758 buses produced by the BYD Alexander Dennis partnership. In the meantime, operators have been advised to ensure that the Hispacold HVAC system is switched off when those vehicles are left unattended.

ibid

So which of Cambridge’s e-buses are affected?

Not these nine…

Whippet electric bus
No. None of the nine Mellor Sigma 12 buses serving Whippet’s U1/U2 routes

Nor these thirty…

Stagecoach electric buses outside IWM Duxford
No, Not the Volvo electric buses allocated to the P&R routes and the citi2

So, which? And how many?

Just these two…

BYD ADL Enviro400EV at Stagecoach's Cowley Road depot
BYD ADL Enviro400EV

Just these two. ⬆︎ The Alexander Dennis electric double deckers supplied to Stagecoach East for a project between the operator and the Greater Cambridge Partnership, supporting an improvement in air quality in the city centre of Cambridge and giving the opportunity to inform potential future investment in a zero emission bus fleet.

So, these two EXPENSIVE BUSES bought with PUBLIC MONEY are going to be off the road over fears they could burst into flames?

Err… No. Stagecoach drivers and mechanics will ensure that the Hispacold HVAC system is switched off when these vehicles are left unattended, pending a permanent fix from manufacturers ADL.

This puts us in mind of…

There was no wrecks and nobody drownded
‘Fact, nothin’ to laugh at at all!

Stanley Holloway – The Lion And Albert (George Marriott Edgar)

Return to Parkside for citi2

Stagecoach’s citi2 buses will again serve Parkside from Sunday 14th April 2024.

photo as caption
The Volvo electric buses allocated to the citi2 route will serve Parkside

Many years back, before the advent of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway, Stagecoach’s citi2 route (towards Milton) stopped on Parkside, opposite the Fire Station. Then, as now, in the opposite direction (towards Addenbrooke’s) buses stopped at Mortimer Road (NaPTAN 0500CCITY370).

Cambridge Area Bus Users wondered, with the 905’s move to Drummer Street bus station releasing Parkside, Bay 16 (NaPTAN 0500CCITY476) whether this stop would be available for use by the citi2. So we asked. The response surprised us.

Rather than using Parkside, Bay 16, the citi2 buses will pick up and set down at the stop opposite the Fire Station – now known as The Busway, Parkside (0500CCITY117) – which was previously used.

photo as caption
The Busway Parkside (0500CCITY117) from Google Maps

Cambridge Area Bus Users welcomes this development as the stop…

  • will be useful for Grafton Area shoppers, with a largely traffic-free walking route to Fitzroy Street, via Melbourne Place and Eden Street;
  • will be of some use for passengers to/from Anglia Ruskin University in the evenings and weekends (when the access from Mackenzie Road is closed);
  • will serve students, staff and visitors to Parkside College.

Southern Busway – Planned Reopening

From Stagecoach map annotated by Roger French

Members and others will no doubt have seen reports in the local media about work on the Southern Busway between Hills Road bridge and the Addenbrooke’s Spur Junction, based on this press release –  Guided Busway works begin to allow closure to be lifted, 06 February 2024 – from Cambridgeshire County Council.

Since February 2022, a section of the Guided Busway in one direction has been closed between Cambridge Railway Station and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The inbound only track (closest to the maintenance track) was closed to allow for a temporary fence to be installed without reducing the width of the path used by pedestrians and cyclists. This measure has severely impacted the busway service and connections to key employment and health facilities.

The temporary fence was installed whilst we waited for an independent safety review and following ongoing communications with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and as part of our continuous review of safety on the busway.

Guided Busway works begin to allow closure to be lifted, Cambridgeshire County Council, 06 February 2024
Photo from bus, showing overgrown northbound track
Photo courtesy of BusAndTrainUser

The busway and the maintenance track (foot and cycle track) are currently programmed to re-open on Saturday 30 March.

Cambridge Area Bus Users wondered about speed limits, and asked some questions

The questions, and responses from a Cambridgeshire County Council Highways officer are shown below.

  • What northbound speed limit is proposed on the guideway?

The proposed speed limit will be the 30 mph restriction that was in place before the installation of the safety barrier, and which is in place on all of the operational parts of the southern section

  • Will this be mandated by the HSE, or at the discretion of Cambridgeshire County Council?

There has been no reference made by the HSE as to a required speed limit. As mentioned previously, the pre-existing speed limit will be in place when the closed guideway re-opens. 

  • What is the justification for the 15mph limit on northbound buses leaving the guideway towards Station Place?

The speed limit was lowered to 15 mph several years ago, due to the increasing numbers of pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised traffic in this area. There is a transition area directly at the northern end of the Cambridge-bound guideway where cyclists cross between the carriageway and the maintenance track in both directions, and where there is more interaction with pedestrians using the maintenance track and the footpath towards Station Place. In addition, there is subsidiary traffic entering and leaving the same are via the access from the Obsidian development adjacent to the Busway.

  • Could this be raised to a 30mph limit? 

While it would be possible to raise the speed limit to any required level, the Council would not wish to exponentially increase the risk of a collision with non-Busway traffic, and the increased likelihood of major injury or death arising from such an increase. The current speed limit allows bus drivers more time to react to what can be unpredictable movement by non-Busway users.

  • What is the justification for the 30mph limit on the southbound guideway to the Addenbrooke’s spur junction?

The speed limit across the entire southern section was reduced to a blanket level of 30 mph some years ago, largely in response to the increased numbers of pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised traffic arising from the construction of new housing developments, and the expansion of the Biomedical Campus at Addenbrooke’s Hospital. The speed limit is also in keeping with those in place on the road network around the Busway corridor.

  • Can the southbound guideway – separated from the cycleway/footway/maintenance track by the northbound guideway, and the new fence – revert to the original 56mph limit?

Whilst it would be possible to raise the pre-existing speed limit to the original speed limit of 56 mph, there is no compelling case to do so. The maximum theoretical transit time gained through increasing the speed limit to 56 mph over this limited distance would be approximately 62 seconds, assuming that a bus entered and left this section of guideway at that speed. However, as the speed limits at either end of the section would be lower, there would be a period on entry where a bus would need to accelerate to the maximum permitted speed, and subsequently a period where the bus would need to decelerate before exiting the guideway to match the speed limit in place at the end of the guideway. These actions would reduce the gains in transit time well below the theoretical maximum.

In addition, and possibly of a greater impact , all buses that use the southern section have their speeds regulated by on-bus control systems using GPS-based geo-fencing. The accuracy of these systems does not have sufficient accuracy to allow for differing speeds on the guideway tracks that are immediately adjacent to each other.

  • If the 30mph limit is mandated by the HSE, will the County Council and Combined Authority press the HSE to allow the limit to be raised?

As stated above, the HSE have not made reference to any required speed limit in the southern section. The rationale for the 30 mph has already been addressed in my response regarding your question on the 30 mph limit on the southbound guideway. As I have already stated, there is no compelling case to increase the speed limit, and the technology in use to regulate bus speeds currently in use would preclude a separate speed limit for one section of guideway in this section.

  • Whilst a 15mph limit is required for southbound buses at the point of entry to the southbound guideway, why does this apply from the junction with Station Place?

The reasons are the same as stated above, in response to your question regarding the 15 mph speed limit for buses leaving the northbound guideway.

  • Could this apply only from the overhead hanging height limit warning signs before the Hills Road bridge, with the 30mph limit applicable in Station Place continuing up to this point?

As outlined above, given the levels of non-Busway traffic using the area, there would be little to gain by doubling the speed limit for buses over such a short distance, and any gains in transit time would be negligible. The area between Station Place and the height restriction barrier is where large numbers of pedestrians cross the roadway from the station side to reach the path that eventually joins the maintenance track adjacent to the guideway south of Hills Road bridge, and an increase in the speed limit would increase the likelihood and severity of a collision between buses and non-Busway traffic.

We look forward to the re-opening and, even with the lower speed limits in both directions, buses will, once again be able to avoid the traffic congestion on Hills Road (which the Greater Cambridge Partnership and others seems reluctant to tackle).

Photo courtesy of BusAndTrainUser

The images displayed here are from BusAndTrainUser the retirement activity for Roger French OBE DL MA, former MD of Brighton&Hove Bus Cº, a blogging site which we are pleased to promote.

Cambridgeshire Buses Feedback Forum

image of toy bus text as per subsequent paragraphs
Click the image to book a place

Long Road Sixth Form College are running an event regarding bus services across Cambridgeshire and surrounding areas, on Tuesday 5th March 2024 5:30pm – 7:00pm.

Pre-booking is required. Click here to book, and for full information. Booking closes at 4pm on Tuesday 5th March.

Since the changes to bus routes in October 2022, many local communities have found their bus service to be less than satisfactory; an issue that is particularly impacting young people accessing a variety of educational, work and social opportunities. We want this to change. 

Share your questions and feedback with Mayor Dr Nik Johnson of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (our Transport Authority) who are raising additional Council Tax to fund more bus services, and representatives of bus companies Stagecoach, Whippet and Stephensons of Essex, who will be able to talk about any of their bus services; giving young people and their families the opportunity to share their feedback and get their questions answered.

Important information for attendees:

  • You must book 1 ticket for each person attending the event, including parents/carers.
  • On-campus parking is available. Please use public transport or car-share where possible.
  • Long Road Sixth Form College will be taking photos for use in their marketing materials and social media. If you would not like to be photographed please alert their photographer(s) when you see them, or move out of shot.