A public consultation on plans that aim to improve bus services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has been launched. 

The consultation is based on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s (CAPCA) draft bus strategy, which was published last October. 

In the draft strategy, CAPCA wants to provide people with a “comprehensive network of bus services that people find convenient, easy to use, reliable [and] affordable”. 

Councillor Anna Smith, deputy mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, said: “The public outcry about Stagecoach’s cutting of services last autumn was another reminder of how important buses are to the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.  

“When services are reduced, people in our region find it harder to get to work, school and shops, and they struggle to access vital services.” 

CAPCA will engage with the public over which aspects of the draft bus strategy are most important, while the consultation will consider all views on the finalised bus strategy. 

A CAPCA spokesperson said it wants to create “a more connected region” through its plans. 

“[This] will encourage active and sustainable travel, improve health and wellbeing and reduce private vehicle journeys,” said the spokesperson. 

“Success in achieving the vision will mean more travel by bus and less reliance on car travel.” 

In its draft bus strategy, CAPCA said bus franchising would allow it to specify routes, timetables and ticketing arrangements, then inviting bus operators to bid for contracts to operate those services.   

The strategy said: “Franchising itself will not deliver new or improved services, greater reliability or lower fares.  

“These can only be achieved through increased investment in the network.  

“However, what franchising could offer is greater network stability and local authority control over the design and delivery of an improved network of services.” 

If CAPCA’s vision of an improved bus network for the county, it hopes there will be more people travelling by bus rather than car, meeting targets to cut carbon emissions and maintaining economic growth. 

Cllr Smith added: “It’s only by hearing from the people who live, study and work in our region that we can best deliver a bus strategy that really works for everyone.” 

The consultation, which closes at 5pm on February 22, can be found at: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/YFCFN2/.