There will be further delays to running some Cambridgeshire bus services after a bus operator pulled out. The operator had submitted winning bids to run seven of the bus routes funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority mayoral precept.
In 2022, the Combined Authority stepped in to ‘rescue’ Cambridgeshire bus services which had been considered unviable by operators. Since then, the authority has procured more than 40 routes funded by the mayoral precept.
After the remaining seven bids were withdrawn, the tendering process has had to start again – with affected services not expected to launch until May. The routes covered places including Peterborough, Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, Wisbech, and surrounding villages.
Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said: “I was very proud when this organisation stepped up to rescue the original 23 routes, and I am just as proud today to see the vast majority of mayoral-precept-funded services up and running, all serving parts of our region that an out-of-date deregulated market either couldn’t or wouldn’t.
“On these last seven routes, I know the delay is frustrating, but we’ve dealt with operator setbacks before and are working to get them going as soon as possible.”
The routes are part of a package of 53 services funded through the Mayoral precept. Of those routes, 38 are up and running. A further 4 Tiger on Demand services – flexible, bookable buses serving rural areas – are set to launch from Saturday (January 11), covering Fenland, East Cambridgeshire, and two in South Cambridgeshire.
A Combined Authority spokesperson said other improvements included: the 2024 introduction of the Tiger card which offers £1 bus fares for under-25s; an all-day concessionary pass being introduced from April; and retaining a £2 cap on bus fares until the end of March. After a bus franchising consultation concluded in November 2024, Mayor Dr Johnson is expected to decide how to reform buses across the area in February.