
Transport Committee recommends bus franchising to the Mayor after reviewing consultation feedback
The Combined Authority’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee has unanimously recommended to Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, that franchising is the best way to reform the region’s bus network.
The Committee met on Friday (January 24) to review findings of the bus franchising consultation which concluded in November last year. They were asked to make a recommendation to the Mayor on how best to reform the bus system. The consultation report was also reviewed on Monday (January 27) by the Combined Authority’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.
The Combined Authority Board will further review the report and consider its recommendation to the Mayor when it meets on February 6. Mayor Dr Johnson will decide whether to introduce bus franchising in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
More than 1,600 responses were submitted to The Combined Authority’s statutory bus franchising consultation, including from residents, businesses, and other groups and organisations. Running between Wednesday 14 August and Monday 25 November 2024, the consultation found there was substantial support for franchising, alongside some concerns raised. 63 percent of responses supported franchising while 12 percent opposed.
Of those, 42 percent strongly supported and 21 percent tended to support, while five percent tended to oppose and a further seven percent strongly opposed. 18 percent of responses neither supported nor opposed.
The Committee heard that the Combined Authority has considered all the consultation feedback, which has been reflected in the Consultation Response.
The consultation underscored the vital role buses play in connecting communities, supporting local economies, and reducing social isolation. It also highlighted the risks of further service decline if effective reforms are not implemented.
The consultation aimed to be comprehensive and inclusive. Alongside online engagement, more than 30 face-to-face drop-in events were held at busy locations across the region, including town centres and bus stops in Huntingdon, Ely, Peterborough, Northstowe, Wisbech, Cambridge, and St. Neots. These events allowed residents to speak directly with the consultation team and ask questions.
Cllr Anna Smith, Deputy Mayor and Chair of the Transport and Infrastructure Committee, said: “I’m delighted the Committee has unanimously supported this recommendation on a matter of such significance for our transport future. The consultation process was both inclusive and thorough, and the Committee has carefully considered all the feedback, leading to the unanimous decision to recommend bus franchising. Franchising offers the best opportunity to create a bus network that truly works for the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, bringing the control, reliability and improvements we need to achieve our vision for buses and for transport. As many of our committee members pointed out, this is a very important moment in our work on bus reform, and I look forward to continuing the debate and hearing further views at the Combined Authority Board.”
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