Cam Vale Bus User Group holds meeting after mayor’s review published

Villagers from the Mordens, Bassingbourn, Kneesworth and Meldreth assembled for a meeting of the Cam Vale Bus Users Group on Wednesday last week.

In total, 25 people attended the meet at the The Limes Community Room in Bassingbourn’s High Street and bus operator A2B, Royston & District Community Transport, parish councillors and representatives from Cambs County Council were all on hand to answer questions and address concerns.

Earlier that day, Cambridgeshire’s mayor James Palmer’s bus review had been published, setting out a detailed assessment of the current situation.

Cam Vale BUG chair Susan van de Ven said: “It will take a couple of years – and significant funding – to put together any new way of doing things, whether bus franchising or something else.

“Our members were pleased to see that the review acknowledges in some detail the plight of rural bus services and the lifelines they represent.

“The review also notes the growing problem of traffic congestion, not just in cities, and the impact on bus reliability. A case in point is the 127 getting stuck in traffic and arriving too late for train connections at Royston railway station.

“Our immediate concern is that the 127 and other subsidised services continue running from April 1, the beginning of the new financial year.

“We await official confirmation that all will be well, but will notify our users as soon as we have official news.

“The Stagecoach Busway A service now connecting Royston, Melbourn, Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital and points north was the subject of praise – a brilliant way of getting to an Addenbrooke’s appointment, quicker and easier than driving.

“This is a commercial service and it’s essential that it’s well used, if we’re to keep it – a use it or lose it!

“We also urged our county council officers to work together with their Herts counterparts – buses don’t have to ignore county boundaries!

“The Cam Vale Bus User Group is allied with the Cambridge Area Bus Users Group. Please do get in touch if you’d like to be on our mailing list, or learn more – just email me via susanvandeven5@gmail.com.”