Stagecoach call for alternative solutions to save bus routes after Peterborough cuts announced

The managing director of Stagecoach East has said new solutions need to be found to save bus routes in the area.

Darren Roe has called for a ‘summit’ with councillors and transport officials at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, along with other local bus operators, transport users and business groups after Stagecoach came under fire for axing 18 bus routes in Cambridgeshire – including three in Peterborough.

Mr Roe has said the 18 routes were unsustainable, with journeys in some areas are now losing an average of £12 per passenger. He said some routes were costing as much as £85 per passenger journey – significantly more than taking the same trips by private taxi due to the higher operational costs and regulatory requirements of running a bus service.

He said: “The harsh reality is that in many rural areas the gap between costs and fare income is accelerating. These routes have been on life support for many years, and we need a radical review of how the transport authority and operators work together to keep these communities alive and connected.”

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, announced his £1.7 million plans to save the 18 routes last week.

But Mr Roe said: “We need an urgent rural connectivity summit, bringing together all key stakeholders, to have an open and honest debate about the financial realities and what innovative solutions may be possible.

“It is clear the traditional fixed route bus service is no longer a financially viable solution in these rural areas in parts of Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire. Not only is it becoming unviable for these areas, but it also threatens the long-term sustainability of the wider bus network and the investment we are making in new electric buses to deliver the region’s net zero ambitions and improve people’s health.

“We cannot turn back the clock. Instead, we need to focus our collective energy on developing alternative solutions to meet the new reality and it is inevitable that these will need to be underpinned by public funding support.”