More than £10 million announced for better buses in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will receive almost £10.6m as part of a wider effort to improve bus services, it has been announced.
Mayor Dr Nik Johnson has welcomed £10.17 million for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough buses announced by the government at the weekend.
The funding will support the Combined Authority’s ambitious Road to Better Bus Strategy, to make bus services across the region more reliable, affordable, and accessible.
As this funding was only announced at the weekend, details of the funding are still being worked through, but potential improvements could include more frequent services, bus fare schemes, building on the success of the Tiger Card, improvements to bus stops and customer information.
The Combined Authority is already making strides in improving bus services. Key initiatives include the Tiger pass, which offers £1 fares for under-25s and has seen more than 30,000 applicants, and all-day free travel for concessionary bus pass holders starting in May 2025.
The introduction of the Mayoral precept – a £36 annual contribution to the council tax bill for Band D households – has seen the commitment to funding 30 new or improved bus routes, a number of which are already operational. The precept has also protected 23 routes previously withdrawn by bus operators and which would have left many communities without crucial transport.
A bus franchising consultation, a crucial step to reform of the bus system, is due to conclude on Monday, November 25, 9am. Mayor Dr Johnson is currently expected to make a decision on whether to franchise the bus system, giving greater local control of buses, in late January 2025.
The Combined Authority will continue to work with the Department for Transport on its ambitious plans for better buses, and how this funding will be used to make the biggest improvement possible.
The £10.17 million is part of a wider £955 million national funding package, unveiled by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, to safeguard and improve bus services while keeping fares affordable.
Mayor Dr Johnson said: “This £10.17 million is a real step forward for bus services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, building on the Combined Authority’s efforts to make buses more reliable, affordable, and accessible for everyone. With initiatives like the Tiger pass offering £1 fares for under-25s and many improved bus routes already up and running, this investment supports our drive for lasting reform of the whole bus system.
“The Transport Secretary said during her visit to Peterborough in September that empowering local leadership was key to transforming bus services, and I’m grateful that her words are being matched with action.”
