Anna Bailey, leader of  East Cambridgeshire District Council, is calling for the restoration of the Number 9 bus service.

Together with colleagues I am working to ensure the restoration of a full timetable of the Number 9 Bus service from Littleport - Ely - Cambridge.

Stagecoach previously ran three buses on the route calling at Ely, Little Thetford and Stretham before going onto Cambridge, providing ten services per day in each direction.

Stagecoach has made a reduction to one bus, providing just three services per day in each direction – the reduced service came into effect on 15th April.

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) has commissioned A2B to run one bus to salvage some of the lost timetable, but the new level of service, including both the Stagecoach bus and the A2B bus is only delivering six journeys per day in each direction instead of 10, with a loss of services at the most popular times in the mornings.

This means there is only one bus before 9am in the morning, leaving Littleport at 6.35am. The next CPCA commissioned bus is not until 9.30am, which is no good for people with an 8.30am or 9am work start in Ely.

This will undermine use of the service as a whole and put its long-term future in jeopardy.

This is not a situation that residents should have to put up with. Residents are expected to pay the mayor’s council tax precept, which has just been increased by 200 per cent, whilst getting a reduced bus service.

CPCA has estimated the cost of the additional bus in public subsidy to be around £1.76 per passenger journey. This represents very good value for money when set against the CPCA’s benchmark of £12 per passenger journey and compares very favourably with most other subsidised services, including in one case the 7A in South Cambridgeshire which costs £125 subsidy per passenger journey.

I have met with Stagecoach and they are willing to discuss further changes to their timetable. I have therefore asked CPCA officers to convene a public meeting as soon as possible so we can establish exactly what local people want, but we do need the CPCA to commission that third bus in order to restore a full timetable.