Permanent safety fencing is set to be installed along Cambridgeshire’s 16-mile guided busway following a string of fatal incidents and a £6 million court fine.
Cambridgeshire County Council unanimously approved the £4.7 million scheme this week, marking a significant investment in public safety. The decision follows the deaths of three people—Jennifer Taylor, Steve Moir, and Kathleen Pitts—between 2015 and 2021 in separate collisions involving the popular guided busway that runs between Huntingdon and Cambridge.
The council has faced growing public and legal pressure since being sentenced in April at Cambridge Crown Court. A new safety regime introduced in the wake of the hearing has already led to a pilot fence installation between Cambridge railway station and Long Road Bridge in April 2024, which the council says has been effective.
Executive director Frank Jordan acknowledged the council’s past failures during a meeting of the highways and transport committee, expressing “unreserved apologies” to the families affected. He added that the council is now prioritising sections of the route with the highest footfall.
Flooding Fixes Also in Sight
In addition to fencing, the council revealed plans to tackle long-standing flooding issues along the path, which pose further risks to pedestrians and cyclists. Proposals include installing pontooned walkways, with costs expected to reach £7 million. Local campaigners, such as John Morris of the Hunt Walking and Cycling Group, welcomed the move, having flagged flooding concerns since the busway’s opening in 2011.
Councillor Alex Beckett, chair of the committee, stressed the importance of action: “We must do everything we can to prevent further loss of life.”
The Cambridgeshire guided busway, the longest in the world, uses dedicated tracks to keep buses on a fixed path. While it has offered fast and efficient travel since 2011, its safety record has come under intense scrutiny in recent years.
