Mayor's View: Let’s make the Tiger pass permanent

Tiger passesplaceholder image
Tiger passes
I’ve said before: when something works, we should keep doing it, writes Combined authority Mayor Paul Bristow.

Last May, the Combined Authority launched the Tiger pass, giving everyone under 25 a £1 bus journey across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire. It has given young people a helping hand with travel costs at a time when they are becoming adults, and has eased pressure on families.

And it’s been a real success story. Already the Tiger passes are in the hands of nearly 43,000 people, with over 1.8 million journeys made. In Peterborough alone, applications are approaching 10,000, proving that young people value the chance to travel more affordably.

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But here’s the rub. As good as it has clearly been, the previous Mayor had only secured funding until autumn this year. And that’s why there has been doubt swirling around its future.

In my manifesto I said I’d work to end that uncertainty and make it permanent.

That means proper, sustainable funding, and responsible choices with taxpayers’ money. The last Mayor spent a big chunk of our bus budget to hold a £2 fare cap in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, when the Government increased the national cap to £3 at the start of the year. That nudged up to £2.50 this week, but still, it costs the Combined Authority money and that funding will also run out.

Whatever the merits or otherwise, of those decisions, we can’t go on like this. People want certainty on buses and less of the short-termism.

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On Tuesday, July 8, the Combined Authority’s Transport Committee will look at how to lock in the Tiger Pass for good. Then, later this month, the Combined Authority Board will be asked to make a decision on its future following the committee’s recommendations.

I’ll be urging my colleagues to get the balance right: support our young people, but make sure that when we put money into buses, we are crystal clear about the value that it will give back to our communities.

The good news is the widespread support across the Combined Authority and its council leaders for the pass. It’s already a good example of what we can achieve as partners when we work together.

What’s at play here is a wider principal – getting around shouldn’t be a barrier to opportunity.

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Because affordable travel isn’t just about money. Every day, journeys to sixth forms, colleges, training centres and first jobs rely on cost-effective transport. It can be the difference between taking that opportunity to gain new skills and qualifications, or staying away.

And when more young people use the bus, services become more viable, operators gain confidence to keep routes running, and our journey to delivering an affordable franchised bus network is made easier. That’s the long-term thinking we need.

We’ve seen the Tiger Pass deliver. Now, as Mayor, I’m ready to take the responsible step of finding a way to make it permanent.

Let’s keep our young people moving in Peterborough. Let’s get make the Tiger pass a long-term part of our transport future.

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