Mayor determined to lead shake-up in Cambridgeshire's transport plans
£2.3 million has been announced to help reform the county's bus network
Dr Nik Johnson says he is determined to turn around what he feels has been a destruction of public transport in Cambridgeshire.
His comments come after the government announced the county would receive £2.3 million to help improve its bus network.
And Dr Johnson, the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, hopes he can help turn the tide.
“I’m certainly not anti-car, but what I am is I’m anti-destruction of public transport which has (destruction) happened over decades,” he said.
“There’s real ambition for the Combined Authority to deliver that.”
"We need to have services that deliver for the people"
The government funding comes after last year, bus operators took on 17 of 18 services along with five other reduced services due to be axed by Stagecoach East.
Another plus for bus passengers in the county is that the Department for Transport announced that the £2 single adult bus fare scheme would be extended until October.
And Dr Johnson feels that buses in particular are still important for many.
“They may not be used as much as they should be, but they’re still incredibly important to those individuals who are reliant on these lifelines to get them to education and employment opportunities,” he said.
“The million-dollar question is making sure that it stacks up in terms of affordability, and I’m not the sort of person that wants to waste public money.
“We need to have the services that deliver for the people.”
The county’s Combined Authority’s local transport and connectivity plan, which aims to achieve goals such as reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and improving health and wellbeing, is expected to be passed next week.