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Update from Cambridgeshire County Council
Passenger Transport Manager - 22 March 2005
Ramper Road
The County Council has received a number of complaints from local residents about bus services using Ramper Road. To assist in the process of keeping you informed, we have addressed some of the most frequently asked questions as follows:
Why has the County Council allowed Stagecoach to run a service on this road?
Bus services were "deregulated" in the 1980s through the Transport Act 1985. This means that operators decide where and how they want to run buses on a commercial basis. Routes have to be registered with the Traffic Commissioner (the industry regulator) and must be run in accordance with the registration which details the route and timetable the service will adhere to. Eighty percent of services in Cambridgeshire are run commercially. Where it is not commercially viable for operators to run a service, the County Council can (and does) procure some socially necessary services. Service 15 is a commercial service operated by Stagecoach. As such, the Authority has no jurisdiction over the route or its timetable.
Why is the bus route different to what it was a year ago?
The service change that you experienced locally was due to a decision made by a commercial operator. Existing legislation requires market forces to determine routes, fares and frequencies of bus services as this was deemed by Government to be the best way of ensuring optimum service levels for the public.
What is the County Council doing to improve Ramper Road?
Ramper Road is an unclassified single carriageway (i.e. not classified as an A or B road, like the A14 or the B1049). The Authority recognises that improvements are needed to this road and is therefore carrying out maintenance work, including strengthening the edges of the carriageway. In addition, 3 passing bays have been implemented this year to ease traffic movements along the road.
What else is the Authority doing?
It should be noted that the County Council is planning the introduction of a wooden bollard to prevent buses straddling the footway when turning left into Ramper Road as this has been highlighted by residents as a major concern. This bollard will be in place by the end of the week (27th March 2005).
The Authority will continue to working with Stagecoach to determine the potential for alternative routes for the service. To date Stagecoach has been reluctant to exclude Ramper Road from its route because the company believes this to be the most effective way of serving Swavesey and Willingham from Longstanton.
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