Tag: Stagecoach

City centre congestion in Cambridge and Peterborough a cause for concern

10:23 Tuesday 13th January 2015
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

PAUL STAINTON: We’re also talking about congestion in our city centres, in Peterborough and Cambridge, and asking whether you’re being put off venturing into both cities because of the terrible traffic. Does it put you off? Yesterday Margaret in Peterborough got in touch with us about the traffic along Bourges Boulevard in Peterborough. She had this to say.
(TAPE)
CALLER: Bourges Boulevard is not as good as it used to be. You could go down Bourges Boulevard, be into town in a few minutes. Now you’re just sitting in queues of traffic. The journey down from Werrington to Queensgate shopping centre on a Saturday afternoon, it was awful. I caught the Delaine bus. I felt quite sorry for the driver really. We got to B&Q just over the roundabout and it was two lanes of traffic. Luckily the bus driver turned off at the Toys ‘R Us roundabout and went round the back street, and he must have only had about five minutes before he then had to drive the bus back to Stamford. With the roadworks, there’s too many traffic lights. I’m just wondering whether the Council seem to be deterring people, deterring them from coming into the shopping centre, because it will be a little while before I go down there again. It’s awful.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Well that was Margaret on the Show yesterday. But it’s not just Peterborough of course. Cambridge experienced some of the most congested traffic it’s ever seen just before Christmas. And joining me now is Andy Campbell. He’s Managing Director of Stagecoach in the East. Morning Andy.
ANDY CAMPBELL: Morning.
PAUL STAINTON: How difficult is it in Peterborough and Cambridge for your bus drivers at the moment?
Continue reading “City centre congestion in Cambridge and Peterborough a cause for concern”

Stagecoach concern at fewer passengers since the parking fee

07:06 Wednesday 12th November 2014
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

CHRIS MANN: Parking charges are to be introduced at the two park and ride sites along the Guided Busway. Do you agree? The £1 all-day parking fee was brought in at the five other sites in Cambridge in the summer, and now county councillors have voted to bring in the same fee on the sites at St Ives and Longstanton. My producer Katharine Park has more details. Just tell us the background Katharine.
KATHARINE PARK: It was earlier this year, as you said, that councillors voted to bring in the £1 charge at the five park and ride sites around Cambridge. Those are the ones at Milton, Madingley, Trumpington Road, Newmarket Road and Babraham Road. The Council said they had to bring in the charges to help pay for the running of the sites. Those charges were brought in in July this year, and according to Stagecoach which runs the bus services, passenger numbers have dropped approximately 10% compared to the same time last year.
CHRIS MANN: So why are they being introduced along the Guided Busway route now?
KATHARINE PARK: Well initially when councillors discussed introducing the charges, they didn’t look at the Guided Busway route. However at a later stage they decided they would, and this is the result of that process, which led to yesterday’s vote on introducing the changes at Longstanton and St Ives. Reading through the Council papers, they say running the Guided Busway and the two park and ride sites is cost-neutral, because they recoup the money from the bus companies. However they say that it’s the concessionary fares that are costing them money. So for example, if somebody has a bus pass and can use the bus for free, the Council are losing money there. And they say they need to make the money back, or will have to make cuts to vital services elsewhere.
CHRIS MANN: So how much money could they make?
KATHARINE PARK: Well the St Ives site can hold up to 1000 vehicles, whilst Longstanton can hold 300. So in theory the Council could make up to £1,300 a day. In reality though the Council tell us there are about 600 to 700 vehicles using the site each day, so if those people paid to pay, that’s between £600 and £700 a day. Calculate that over a year and that would add up to £200,000.
CHRIS MANN: It’s a pretty contentious issue, even though it’s only £1 we’re talking about. So what’s the reaction been to the news Katharine?
KATHARINE PARK: As you say there’s been a very mixed reaction to the news of this £1 charge. You’ll be talking in just a few moments time to Stagecoach who run the majority of the services along the route. BBC Radio Cambridgeshire has spoken to Whippet Coaches who run some of the services. They’ve told us they do have concerns that the charges will affect passenger numbers. They point out that they have to pay a charge to the Council to run routes along the Busway, and need to attract more passengers to make services viable. They also point out that when they first tendered to run the service along the route, the new town of Northstowe was an integral part of the plan. And as you know, that’s now been delayed, and with the service being relatively new, it’s only been going for three years, they say they’re still working to increase passenger numbers. ..
CHRIS MANN: When will the charges be introduced?
KATHARINE PARK: Well the Council says it will take them a little time to order machines, put them in place and get them running, and it’s anticipated that the charges will be brought in at some time early next year. But obviously if they’re not, then cuts need to be made elsewhere.
CHRIS MANN: Katharine thank you. That’s our producer Katharine Park. Well joining me in the studio now is Andy Campbell, who is the Managing Director of Stagecoach in Cambridge. Andy, good morning to you.
ANDY CAMPBELL: Good morning.
CHRIS MANN: And your connection to all this is you run the buses.
ANDY CAMPBELL: We run the majority of the buses on the Busway.
CHRIS MANN: But you don’t run the park and rides. ..
ANDY CAMPBELL: No we don’t actually manage the car parks. No. But we do pay for that in the access charge.
CHRIS MANN: So what do you think of the charges?
Continue reading “Stagecoach concern at fewer passengers since the parking fee”

Stagecoach willing to manage Cambridge Park And Ride sites

08:08 Tuesday 8th October 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: We’ll start at the Park and Ride, on the day that councillors in Cambridgeshire discuss proposals to bring in the £1 parking charge. We’re asking, what should we do with the Park and Ride sites? Should it be sold to a private company? The County Council says it costs them over £1 million a year to run the sites, and they need to save money because of spending cuts. BBC Radio Cambridgeshire has been told by workers at the Council that staff are worried about losing their jobs. Currently eight people work at the site. Two years ago there were fifteen. The waiting areas and help desks are often closed. Well earlier in the show, opposition LibDem councillor Susan van de Ven said the Council had rushed their decision making process.
(TAPE)
SUSAN VAN DE VEN: The charging policy is a knee-jerk reaction and the short term solution to something. The Council has continually told us that congestion builds up. That has a huge cost to business, and we need to keep people moving, and Park and Ride figures as the lynch-pin in a multi-modal transport way of getting around.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Cllr van de Ven went on to say that officials need to look at other ways of raising money.
(TAPE)
SUSAN VAN DE VEN: Rural South Cambridgeshire is going to be affected greatly by a parking charge, and many of these people don’t have basic services in their villages, such as post offices and shops. And we know that there’s a large elderly population that depend on getting around by bus. So why not introduce some of those village services to Park and Ride.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: So should the Council sell the sites, privatise them, make some cash and leave it to a private company to run them? Well I’m joined in the studio by Cllr Mac McGuire, who’s the Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Highways and Community Infrastructure. Morning.
MAC MCGUIRE: Morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: And Andy Campbell’s with us as well, the Managing Director of Stagecoach, who currently run the bus services from the five Park and Ride sites. So Andy, can you do a better job at running these sites, do you think?
Continue reading “Stagecoach willing to manage Cambridge Park And Ride sites”

LibDems Call In Cambridge Park And Ride Charging Plan

08:22 Tuesday 11th September 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: Conservative county councillors in Cambridgeshire have voted in favour of bringing in parking charges of a pound at Cambridgeshire’s five council run park and ride sites. The decision has been called in or challenged if you like by the County’s Liberal Democrats, who claim it’s been brought in without consultation and without adequate scrutiny of the risk. Last night Andy Campbell the boss of Stagecoach who runs the park and ride bus service said they’d previously offered to run the sites for free at no cost to the Council. Now David Jenkins is the LibDem’s spokesman on Planning and Environment and Enterprise and is with us now. Morning David.
DAVID JENKINS: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: So you’ve asked for this decision to be called in or challenged. Why? Continue reading “LibDems Call In Cambridge Park And Ride Charging Plan”

The Guided Busway – Early Days for Go-Whippet and Stagecoach

17:51 Wednesday 10th August 2011
Drive BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY BURROWS: We’re hearing that people are ringing up to complain  about the Guided Busway because it’s too popular. Bus operators Stagecoach and Whippet Coaches have been running at full capacity for most of the days they’ve been operating so far. The launch was on Sunday, and it officially went fully operational on Monday. Let’s speak to Peter Lee from Go=Whippet. Hello to you Peter.
PETER LEE: Hello. Yes.
ANDY BURROWS: This must be music to your ears, isn’t it? Continue reading “The Guided Busway – Early Days for Go-Whippet and Stagecoach”

Nick Clarke and the Guided Busway Launch Date- The Andy Burrows Interview

17:06 Thursday 9th June 2011
Drivetime BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

ANDY BURROWS: A date has finally been set for Cambridgeshire’s £180 million Guided Busway to open. After two years of delays, and contractual disputes between the County Council and the builders BAM Nuttall, it will be operational on August 7th. The project, designed to ease congestion on the A14, will carry passengers on buses run on guided trackways between Cambridge and St Ives. Let’s speak to Nick Clarke, who’s the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council. Good afternoon to you.
NICK CLARKE: Good afternoon to you Andy.
ANDY BURROWS: So why have you set this particular date? What’s ready? What’s been completed? Why now? Continue reading “Nick Clarke and the Guided Busway Launch Date- The Andy Burrows Interview”

Andy Campbell Stagecoach on Cambridgeshire Bus Cuts

08:07 Friday 28th January 2011
Cambridgeshire Breakfast Show BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

JEREMY SALLIS: Over the next four years more than 50 of Cambridgeshire’s subsidised bus services could be removed. Subsidised transport costs the County Council just under £3 million to run, and provides access to the wider community, helping people to get, say, to local libraries, and to the hospital. Well earlier on in the programme we spoke to Glenn Edge, who’s the Head of Passenger Transport from Cambridgeshire County Council. (TAPE)
GLENN EDGE: They’re subsidised as social needs. We recognise they’ve grown up over time, but unfortunately we’re in a difficult position. The reality of the Comprehensive Spending Review and the financial situation the Government is in today is now coming home to roost. We’ve got reduced monies from Government. We’ve got inflationary pressures, demographic changes on the County, and therefore trying to make budget prediction over the next four years, while taking into account growth in the County, has meant that our councillors have had to make some very tough decisions. We’ve got to save, as you know, over £160 million over the next four years. (LIVE)
JEREMY SALLIS: Well joining me in the studio now is Andy Campbell, who’s Managing Director of Stagecoach. Morning to you Andy. Thank you for coming aboard.
ANDY CAMPBELL: Good morning.
JEREMY SALLIS: You run, what, around 20 of those subsidised services which we were speaking about?
ANDY CAMPBELL: We do. Yes.
JEREMY SALLIS: OK. So what was your reaction when the Council came to you and said we’re going to have to remove that subsidy? Continue reading “Andy Campbell Stagecoach on Cambridgeshire Bus Cuts”

Stagecoach and PECT on the Transport Plan for Peterborough

Philp Norwell Commercial Direcor of Stagecoach and Hugh Cripps from Peterborough Environment City Trust offer their perspectives on the Local Transport Plan for Peterborough which is about to go out to widespread public consultation. Continue reading “Stagecoach and PECT on the Transport Plan for Peterborough”