The Cam Vale Bus User Group met at the Bassingbourn Old School Community Centre for the first time since the pandemic (and with a few absences due to Covid).  We discussed timetable issues and what people would want to see if changes could be made – optimizing time in Royston, and joining up with train schedules at Royston/Meldreth including early commuter trains – and gauged interest in extending service to Biggleswade, which the bus operator is exploring.  We looked at the overall context of public transport passenger ridership which is in recovery mode since the pandemic, and at bus subsidies. The 17 now runs commercially; if the operator wanted to return to a subsidized service, that would automatically require the route to be assessed by the Mayor’s office, where bus subsidies are now managed.  The best thing to do to support the viability of the service now is to ride the bus!  We’ve asked for printed timetables for the shop, pub and Old School.

Thanks to Dr John Hedges of Royston and District Community Transport for joining us. He reminded the meeting that one-off group trips to local destinations, for example outings to garden centres, can be arranged via RDCT.   Their number is 01763 245228. 

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