Mayor's View: I’m delivering on pledge to make Tiger pass permanent
When I stood to be Mayor, I made a clear pledge: I would deliver a permanent Tiger pass for young people. Just two months into my term as Mayor, we’re well on the way to making that a reality, writes Combined Authoruty mayor Paul bristow.
Last week, the Combined Authority Board, which I chair, agreed to extend the Tiger pass – which gives under 25s £1 bus journeys in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire – to the end of March 2026.
That means young people can continue to benefit from the scheme while we work up an affordable, workable option to make it permanent. Under the previous Mayor’s leadership, funding for the pass was due to end in November.
Since it launched in May, more than 45,000 passes have been issued and 1.8 million journeys have been supported. That’s not just a number, but real young people getting to school, training and jobs, and seeing friends and family more affordably. It’s what good public transport is supposed to do – give people opportunity and connection.
But delivering it means making choices.
To fund the extension, we’re ending the Combined Authority’s £2.50 bus fare cap – originally planned to expire this year – and returning to the Government’s £3 national cap from October 31, 2025. Every pound we spend has to deliver maximum value, and the Tiger pass is clearly making a bigger difference.
Let’s also remember this cap was also only ever a temporary measure, set under the previous Mayor’s leadership. It would have ended a couple of months later anyway.
We’re focused on ensuring our bus network is resilient and efficient, which is why we are currently developing a range of options for a permanent Tiger Pass - giving people the certainty they deserve. These proposals will be discussed throughout the autumn as I deliver on my commitment to make the Tiger Pass a permanent part of our transport network.
The wider point is giving certainty to passengers. Short term measures with unclear end dates just confuse. I’m fixing that.
Last week, the Combined Authority agreed with my proposal to go out to tender to save the 31 bus route, the only viable connection for communities in and around Ramsey and Pondersbridge into Whittlesey and Peterborough.
The majority of our bus network is run by private bus companies. So when an operator decides to pull out of certain services – as Stagecoach did earlier this year – we’re faced with tough decisions.
We’ve already stepped in as a Board to go out to tender to save the March to Whittlesey section of 33 which connects to Peterborough – a lifeline for people in Eastrea and Coates.
Peterborough is an important hub for many surrounding villages, and people need to be able to get there reliably. We’re now working to avoid any gaps in the 31 service when the bus operator pulls out at the end of August.
That’s why a review of Combined Authority-supported bus services has been launched – reporting this autumn – to make sure we’re backing the routes that make the biggest difference and deliver value for money.
For young people, their priorities are independence, opportunity and affordability. For rural areas, it’s about staying connected.
So whether it’s the Tiger pass, or protecting routes like the 31 and 33, this is where we should be investing to get Peterborough and Cambridgeshire moving. Our work continues.