County may lose a third of bus services by 2035

The number of a county's bus services could be cut by more than a third in the next decade, according to a review.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) is introducing bus franchising, under which it would set routes, timetables and fares, with bus operators bidding for contracts to run specific services.

But an independent report said the plans - started under Labour mayor Nik Johnson - were made on the assumption that the mayor's precept would gradually increase - but the now Conservative mayor Paul Bristow has committed to not raising it.

That would lead to a funding gap, and a calculation estimates 38% of all services would be cut by 2035, CPCA documents suggest.

Currently, bus services in Cambridgeshire are run by private operators, which can cut or withdraw routes if they feel they are not commercially viable.

Johnson signed off on plans to take control of various routes in February 2025, and Bristow pledged to keep the precept as it was when he was elected three months later.

Papers to the CPCA's transport committee on Wednesday include an independent review of franchising by Steer, which said in the outline business case that it "was assumed to increase gradually over time reaching £60 per Band D property by 2032".

The report said that meant there would be a funding gap, widening over time, due to falling demands and rising costs in line with national trends.

"Progressively more services and mileage would need to be removed to reach a neutral net position," the report said.

"By 2029 (the end of the mayoral term), approximately 10% of network mileage would need to be removed relative to the base year. By 2035, this increases to approximately 19%," it added.

Thirty-eight per cent of services - including eight of the 11 Tiger services - could be removed, but, it said: "It is important to note that the service reductions illustrated are a high-level, indicative representation only."

A CPCA spokesperson said: "The figures in the independent review describe a 'what if' scenario, not a plan or decision. The report is explicit that they are an indicative illustration only and do not reflect the decisions on bus franchising the combined authority would actually take.

"The pressures on the buses are being felt nationwide and they exist whether franchising happens or not. The alternative of doing nothing would leave the region worse off, with commercial operators pulling out of routes that don't make money, and we would also have fewer powers to protect services."

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