The Peterborough Evening Telegraph

Plans giving residents more say over bus routes welcomed

Political leaders in Peterborou­gh have welcomed new plans to give residents more say over local bus routes.

Plans to give local leaders extra powers to determine where services should run and which operators should be responsibl­e for them, were outlined on September 9 by the Secretary of State for Transport Louise Haigh during a visit to Peterborou­gh.

Cambridges­hire and Peterborou­gh Combined Authority already has significan­t powers over buses but the Government is introducin­g new legislatio­n to give all England’s Local Transport Authoritie­s new powers to run their own bus services.

Last month, the combined authority launched a bus franchisin­g consultati­on asking for views on the future of the region’s buses. It ends on November 20.

Nik Johnson, mayor of the Cambridges­hire and Peterborou­gh Combined Authority, said: “Good quality public transport is a vital part of people’s lives, and none more so than local bus services.

“So it’s a huge boost to see much-needed change coming to life.

“As a combined authority, we’re doing everything we can to reform the way buses are managed across the region, and having government on our side makes a massive difference.

“We are already trail blazing in terms of our ambitions

and I am hoping that we can actually share some of our learning with the Government.”

Peterborou­gh MP Andrew Pakes said: “These are huge

changes that are being made today.

“Buses are a key form of public transport, but for too long, public has not been involved in any say about how they are run.

“We saw that when the 36 service between Thorney and Eye and the city centre was axed and it has taken several years to get a new bus service.

“Together, the new new powers and the franchisin­g consultati­on from the combined authority, gives a real opportunit­y to put the public back in control.”

North West Cambridges­hire MP, Sam Carling, said: “We’ve been doing a lot locally over the last few months get bus franchisin­g in place in the region and I’m very supportive of it.

“Bus franchisin­g gives us all sorts of opportunit­ies to make things better for people.”