New operators for cancelled Stagecoach bus services in Peterborough announced

New operators of three bus services in Peterborough that were cancelled by Stagecoach last month have been announced.

Following the decision- which was heavily criticised by local councillors- the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority went out to urgent tender the following day with the aim of finding operators to continue as many of those services as possible.

The outcomes of that tendering process have been approved by the Combined Authority Board and new contracts with bus operators will come into effect from October 30 to run until the end of March 2023.

The number 23, which stops at Lynch Wood Commerce Road, Orton Waterville Church Drive, Orton Mere, Woodston Bakers Lane, Thorpe Meadows and Queensgate Bus Station will be operated by Vectare.

Buses will leave Queensgate at 6:27, 6:57, 7:32, 8:28, 9:08, 10:28, 11:28, 11:58, 12:28, 12:58, 13:28, 14:28, 15:28, 16:59, 17:49, 18:34, 19:14 and 19:54.

The number 24 between Queensgate has now changed to the 23A and will also be run by Vectare. It will stop at Queensgate, Thorpe Meadows, Bakers Lane, Orton Mere, Commerce Road.

Services will leave the bus station at 06:30 07:00 07:35 08:30, 10:00, 11:00, 11:30, 12:00, 12:30, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:15, 17:55, 18:40, 19:20.

The number 29- which will run between Hampton and Peterborough City Hospital will be taken over by Dews Coaches.

It will stop at the city hospital, Orton Waterville Church Drive, Orton Waterville Notcutts, Lynch Wood Showground, Orton Southgate Stapledon Road, Hampton Hargate Archers Wood and Serpentine Green.

Buses will depart the hospital at 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 15:00.

The authority has also announced new timetables and operators for 21 further routes across Cambridgeshire and Fenland.

Those routes can be found here.

The routes will require some of the £1.7m set aside by the Combined Authority for subsidies to operators to keep them running. Currently, the total cost is expected to be about £1.25m.

Mayor Dr Nik Johnson said: “With 18 bus routes cut at short notice by Stagecoach and five more scaled back significantly, the Combined Authority has been faced with a major challenge to get services back running again, and with very little time to do it in.

“Buses are a lifeline for so many of our residents and communities. So getting services back on almost all of those routes is a huge achievement. But we know our work on retaining an effective bus network is far from over.

"People will now rightly be looking closely at the new timetables as they plan journeys from next Sunday onwards, October 30. We have been working continuously with operators to try to get a level of service which will meet as much of the need and journey connectivity as possible.

"We will be monitoring the detail of how these new services are working, and will consider further issues raised by bus users, whether they are offering what people need. If we can continue to tweak things and make improvements, we will do.”

Passengers who may have questions about bus services can email [email protected] or call 01223 740149.