Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority will update the Transport and Infrastructure Committee this week (March 5) on the progress of bus reform across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, including new services, passenger-focused initiatives, and the early stages of work towards bus franchising.
Significant improvements have already been made to buses. The Tiger Pass, introduced in May 2024 to provide £1 fares for under-25s, has proved a major success, with nearly 40,000 cards issued and more than 800,000 journeys taken so far.
The scheme has helped make bus travel more accessible and affordable for young people getting to jobs, education, and training, and getting around the region generally.
New Tiger on Demand services, launched on January 11, are also helping to reshape public transport, particularly in rural areas where flexible, bookable buses provide a crucial link for residents.
These services, now operating in Fenland, East Cambridgeshire, and South Cambridgeshire, alongside an existing service in West Huntingdonshire, have already recorded more than 4,100 journeys by mid-February. As the services continue to establish, the Combined Authority will look at ways to improve how they are running.
A detailed map of bus routes in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has also now been produced, helping give residents a clearer understanding of services, and plan journeys. An online version is in development.
The committee will also be updated on early phase work on franchising, following the Mayor’s decision to take greater public control over the bus network – the biggest overhaul of buses in 40 years. The first franchised services are expected to launch in late 2027. Initial work will involve bringing in the right resources, planning effective public engagement, and modelling what a future franchised bus network will look like.
Work to develop bus depots will enable greater competition among potential operators, helping to improve value for money and services in a future franchised system.
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson said: “The progress we have made on much needed reform of our bus network is clear. From launching new or improved routes, including the fantastic Tiger on Demand service, to keeping fares low with the Tiger pass, and our £2 cap, we have come a long way since the middle of last year.
“And with my decision to take greater public control of services via franchising, buses in this region are finally getting the long term planning and investment which has been missing for years.”
