Welcome for new bus rules to put Peterborough people in the driving seat

Political leaders in Peterborough have welcomed new plans to give residents more say over local bus routes.

Plans to give local leaders extra powers to determine where services should run and which operators should be responsible for them were outline yesterday (September 9) by the Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh during a visit to Peterborough.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority already has significant powers over buses but the Government is introducing new legislation to give all England’s Local Transport Authorities new powers to run their own bus services.

Last month, the Combined Authority launched a bus franchising consultation asking for views on the future of the region’s buses. It ends on November 20.

Nik Johnson, mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, said: “Good quality public transport is a vital part of people’s lives, and none more so than local bus services, so it’s a huge boost to see much-needed change coming to life.

“As a combined authority we’re doing everything we can to reform the way buses are managed across the region, and having government on our side makes a massive difference.

He said: “We are already trail blazing in terms of our ambitions and I am hoping that we can actually share some of our learning with the Government.”

Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes said: “These are huge changes that are being made today.

"Buses are a key form of public transport but for too long public has not been involved in any say about how they are run.

"We saw that when the 36 service between Thorney and Eye and the city centre was axed and it has taken several years to get a new bus service.

"Together the new new powers and the franchising consultation from the Combined Authority gives a real opportunity to put the public back in control.”

North West Cambridgeshire MP Sam Carling said: “We’ve been doing a lot locally over the last few months get bus franchising in place in the region and I’m very supportive of it.

"Bus franchising gives us all sorts of opportunities to make things better for people.”

Professor Ross Renton, principal of ARU Peterborough, said: “A large proportion of our students are local. Having high quality, well timetabled transport on campus is really impactful.”