Improvements to existing bus services and a number of new bus routes are planned to be funded by the trebling of the Mayoral council tax increase.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority has approved to increase its share of the council tax bill, which will see Band D households pay £36 towards the authority, a £24 increase.

The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Dr Nik Johnson, has said he believes the increase is a “price worth paying” to fund the proposed improvements to bus services.

At a meeting of the Combined Authority’s board on January 31, he said: “The additional precept will mean we can offer more routes and more frequent services serving far more people more conveniently than is currently the case.

“What is more, as you are aware, in our general budget we are also offering a huge reduction in the price of travel for everyone under the age of 25 with bus fares cut in half to just £1.

“I am pleased to say that these proposals enjoy popular support, the 700 plus bus survey responses is evidence of our region’s need, demand and indeed desire for more and better services, getting people to and from where they want to go.

“I am not in any way indifferent to the long standing financial challenges which many of our residents find themselves wrestling with on a daily basis.

“My argument is simply that the collective benefits of a better bus network vastly outweigh the costs to households, with less than 10p a day on average releasing £11million of public transport value, unclogging our roads, cleaning up our air, and massively increasing better access to the wealth of social and economic opportunities that our region presents.

“I think that is a price worth paying and I do not want to leave anyone behind.”

The Combined Authority has set out details of the 30 bus routes it proposes to fund through the increased Mayoral precept.

Cambridge

Express service linking Cambridge and Huntingdon with the potential to extend to Alconbury Weald.
New orbital bus service to key destinations around Cambridge, avoiding journeys into the centre and need to change buses.
Busway, high frequencies Trumpington to Rail Station and Addenbrooke’s.
Extension of Route 18 to Parkside and increase in frequency across whole route.
Restoration of direct link from Histon Road to Addenbrooke’s.

East Cambridgeshire

Develop additional Ely Zipper service providing an enhanced link between Sutton and Ely via villages in between, while also exploring a link to Mepal.
New service between Ely and Longstanton Park and Ride, via Witchford, Sutton, Earith and Willingham.
New service between Soham and Cambridge, via Burwell, Swaffam Prior, Swaffham Bulbeck and Bottisham.
Improvements on B1102 corridor with interconnections to access different parts of Cambridge and other centres to which people travel.
New Demand Responsive Transport trial. Collaborating with the community to define a service zone that offers maximum coverage to rural communities.

Fenland

88 (Wisbech), enhanced days and hours of operation, plus extending route to include Morrisons, including a consideration of a Saturday service.
31/33, later evening journeys to Whittlesey (also serving Amazon and McCains).
New service connecting Christchurch to Wisbech and Downham Market.
New service between Chatteris – Manea rails station – Christchurch – Wisbech, co-ordinated with train times at Manea.
Enhancement on Peterborough to March route with extension to Chatteris and Ely.
Improvements to Chatteris – March – Whittlesey – Wisbech corridor.
New Demand Responsive Transport trial. Collaborating with the community to define a service zone that offers maximum coverage to rural communities.

Huntingdonshire

Provide a link between Fenstanton and Huntingdon Railway Station. Fenstanton could be incorporated into express service options linking Cambridge and Huntingdon.
Route 66, improve frequency of service between Ramsey and Huntingdon and provide interchange with service operating between St Ives and March at Warboys.
X2/X3 Huntingdon – Cambridge – Addenbrookes, engagement with incumbent operator to assess options for improvements.
904, improve frequency and earlier and later journeys.

Peterborough

Options for orbital bus services to key destinations around Peterborough, avoiding journeys into the centre and the need to change buses.
Improve service frequency through Thorney and improve service to Eye with improvements.
Route 5, improve service frequencies.

South Cambridgeshire

Route 4, improve frequency Cambourne to Cambridge and investigate expansion of service to North East Cambridge.
Route 8, improve frequency. More direct route and expansion to Rampton.
X13 Haverhill to Cambridge, increase frequency.
New Demand Responsive Transport trial. Collaborating with the community to define a service zone that offers maximum coverage to rural communities.