Progress towards launch of new Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ‘Tiger’ bus routes including one serving Fenland
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority is closer to launching new Tiger bus routes, including one in Fenland, with contracts awarded to bus operators this week.
Funded by the Mayoral Precept, the new routes will provide important extra connections to towns and cities for bus users across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The following routes were put out for tendering: Tiger 1 – Huntingdon to Cambridge; Tiger 2 & 3 – Cambridge North and South connections; Tiger 4 & 5 – Soham to Cambridge & Newmarket to Cambridge; Tiger 7 – Chatteris to Wisbech; Tiger 9 – Peterborough Orbital; and Tiger 12 – Sutton to Longstanton Park and Ride.
The standstill period for the tenders, a short waiting period after a contract decision to allow any final queries from bidders, expired at midnight on March 17 for most routes.
The standstill period for Tiger 4 and 5 has been extended while a bidder’s query is addressed. The Tiger 9 (Peterborough Orbital) has yet to secure a suitable bidder, meaning its contract remains unawarded for now. The Combined Authority will now review the tender for the Tiger 9 before deciding on the next steps.
The Combined Authority aims to launch the other Tiger routes in May/June this year.
Tiger 1 will be operated by Whippet, Tiger 2 and 3 by Stagecoach, Tiger 7 by Stagecoach East Midlands, and Tiger 12 by A2B.
Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: "Securing these contracts is a big step forward in delivering better bus services for our region. We know how important these routes are to communities and we’re committed to getting every Tiger service up and running as soon as possible."
The Tiger routes are part of the Combined Authority’s wider work to reform the area’s buses. This includes the current £2 fare cap, the £1 fare Tiger pass for under 25s, improving existing bus routes, and launching new Tiger on Demand flexible services to reach more rural communities.
Meanwhile a meeting between Manea councillors and the mayor has seen progress towards the temporary reinstatement of part of a village bus route, that was cut without consultation earlier this month.
Councillors Jan coupland and Charlie Marks met with Mayor Dr Johnson and Andrew Highfield, the Combined Authority’s assistant director for public transport, to discuss Route 56 which serves the village.
The bus route, which used to run through the village to Fallow Corner, where it would turn round and go back, saw that part of the journey cut, meaning residents on Westfield Road were cut off from the service because of the distance they had to walk to the bus stop in the centre of the village.
Following Tuesday’s meeting Mayor Dr Johnson agreed to talk to the operator, Stagecoach, to see if it can be temporarily reinstated to allow for consultation.
A new service is due to come into operation later this year and is currently being fined turned and will hopefully include stops along Westfield Road.
