Bus frequencies will decrease on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway after a “significant” drop-off in the number of passengers, linked to safety fencing work.
Cambridgeshire County Council has been putting up fencing along the 16-mile (26km) busway, which links Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives, after it was fined £6m in the wake of three deaths, says the BBC.
The speed limit on the network was reduced to a blanket 30mph (48km/h) in October while permanent fencing works were carried out.
The guided busway takes a modified bus along a dedicated track – in some sections previously up to a speed of 56mph (90km/h) – and opened in 2011.
However, Darren Roe, Managing Director of Stagecoach East, told Highways News:
“We entirely support the activity that the County Council is carrying out to improve safety on the Busway, unfortunately this has resulted in extended journey times along the whole of the Busway, leading to customers changing their travel patterns, resulting in a significant loss of people traveling on the Busway.
“As such, it is impossible for us to maintain services at their current frequency, and so, from 1st January 2027, frequencies will reduce from every 10 minutes to every 15 minutes at peak times, and from every 20 minutes to every 30 minutes off-peak.
“We will continue to work with the Combined Authority and the County Council to try and mitigate the impact of these changes as best as possible for customers.”
(Picture: Stagecoach East)
