Issue - meetings

Presentation by Greater Cambridge Partnership followed by question and answer session.

The Committee received a presentation from the GCP Transport Director.

A member of the public from Trumpington Residents’ Association asked what are the next steps and timescale after this consultation?

The GCP Transport Director said:

      i.          The Executive Board would review responses following this consultation.

     ii.          Follow up action (eg road closures) will then be outlined in a future consultation circa summer 2022.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the presentation:

      i.          There had been a lot of discussion about bus capacity in the city centre.

     ii.          Would there be more dedicated bus lanes in future?

   iii.          The loss of bus services led to more people using cars.

   iv.          Requested that GCP contacted Ward Councillors prior to undertaking general consultation to get local intelligence on issues, instead of involving Ward Councillors at the end of the process.

    v.          How would this GCP scheme be paid for?

   vi.          There was no appetite for a congestion charge before alternative transport services were in place.

The GCP Transport Director said in response to questions from members of the committee:

      i.          The bus network had not changed in a generation. All bus services were steered towards the city centre, which needed to change.

     ii.          How to change was being reviewed:

a.    The intention was to use cleaner and greener buses as the number of vehicles increased.

b.    Smaller vehicles could be more practicable.

   iii.          Peoples’ views on how to make changes were sought through the consultation. For example, cheaper bus fares to encourage people to reduce car usage for ‘school runs’.

   iv.          If the levels of (general) traffic could be reduced, then segregated bus lanes would not be required. Road space could be allocated to pedestrians/cyclists instead of cars.

    v.          The Executive Board agreed there needed to be alternative transport services were in place before a congestion charge was in place.