Number 33 bus route between March and Whittlesey saved

Number 33 bus route between March and Whittlesey saved

The Combined Authority Board has backed Paul Bristow’s proposal to step in and save a Fenland bus service and prevent communities from being cut off.

Today (June 4) the Board approved funding for the March to Whittlesey section of service 33, after Stagecoach East announced it would no longer run that part of the route after August 31 this year. The villages of Eastrea and Coates were at risk of being cut off from Peterborough, with no public transport alternative.

The Mayor said: “This is an essential service for communities that were at real risk of losing their only public transport link to Peterborough. I’m pleased that all of our Constituent Councils supported the proposals and there was widespread agreement among the Combined Authority Board. I hope this brings some relief to people in Eastrea and Coates that there will still be a bus service for them from September this year.”

Stagecoach East will continue to run the Whittlesey to Peterborough section of the route commercially. Another impact of the route being cut would have been for passengers in the eastern area of Whittlesey, who would have to walk up to a mile to get to the commercially retained 33 service from the town.

Stagecoach East has announced that it will withdraw from several commercial and contracted services from 31 August 2025. Other affected routes include:

• 9/X9 (Cambridge–Ely–Littleport)
• 31 (Ramsey–Whittlesey–Peterborough)
• 604 (Milton–Impington Village College)
• 606 (Cambridge City Centre–Impington Village College)
• 607 (Trumpington–Sawston Village College)

Paul Bristow acknowledged the financial pressures facing the bus network, stating: “We can’t replace every commercial route when an operator pulls out, but where the case is clear, like it is here, we must act. I am making tough choices to deliver value for taxpayers while protecting our rural communities.”