It was revealed yesterday that Government transport chiefs are to look at options for reviewing the guided bus policy and will “draw on the Cambridgeshire experience”. This came about following the call by the Cambridge City MP Julian Huppert, for a public enquiry into the guided bus scheme being built in Cambridge.
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The decision is a victory for Julian who has fought against the guided bus since its inception. He called on the government to hold a public inquiry after Cambridgeshire County Council refused to do so. Rightly so, considering that the cost of the scheme, has increased by over 50%, and is now more than 1 year overdue with no date set for its opening. The County Council is in dispute with the Building Contractor, and the end seems further away. Though the scheme was to have been completely funded by grants from the central government, as promised by Labour, there is now a shortfall of over £50million, which the council tax payers of Cambridgeshire will have to find. Not to mention the suitability of the scheme, as it has always been felt it was not fit for the purpose it was supposed to serve.
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Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport said delivery of the Cambridgeshire guided bus was a matter for the county council but confirmed that the government’s entire guided bus policy could be reviewed. “I have asked my officials to begin investigating options for a review of guided bus policy, which will draw on the Cambridgeshire experience, among others,” he said. He promised to contact Julian shortly with details of the review.
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Julian said: “I am delighted that the government shares my view that this is such a serious issue that we could have a change of policy.
“The guided bus has been funded by taxpayers’ money and is likely to be bailed out by taxpayers’ money and there is still no clear indication of when it will be up and running.
“The Labour government granted more taxpayers’ money to a similar scheme for Luton and Dunstable without waiting to learn the lessons from Cambridgeshire.
“I am determined to try to make sure that no more good money is thrown after bad until we have some answers. Hopefully now that will happen.”
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The saga of the misguided bus continues.
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