How the Combined Authority is improving the bus network 

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority Board (CPCA) continues to deliver on its pledge to improve the bus network after an investment package was presented to its Board on Wednesday (20th).  

The package includes the introduction of new services as well as is improvements to existing routes – many of which were suggested by residents who took part in a survey in December. These 30 new routes and improvements are now being worked on with a view to being introduced as soon as possible. 

Additionally, there will be a £1 fare for people under 25 years of age – helping them to get a good education and access to better jobs and training programmes. This will commence early summer. 

On top of this there will be improvements to bus stops and shelters. The first stage was a survey which identified almost 3,000 bus stops around the region. The second phase will be to identify shelters that would benefit from investment to improve safety and security and ease of waiting. The Combined Authority is also in the process of introducing Demand Responsive Transport and trials are currently taking place across the region.   

The Combined Authority is also working with Stagecoach to mitigate the impact of recent cuts to the service they have announced.

The package of improvements follows the launch of the Combined Authority’s Road to Better Buses Strategy in March 23 which set out five key ambitions for buses in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough: 

• Add more buses to the network 
• Provide bus users with better information 
• More reliability across the network 
• Nicer, better-quality buses 
• Better value for money for users 

 The aim of the Strategy is to move the region towards a franchising model for the network which will give the Combined Authority greater control as well as the possibility of potentially accessing additional funding from central Government. As a step towards that the Board also approved an interim Enhanced Partnership for the bus network between the Combined Authority and the bus companies.