Cambridgeshire tax increase could pay for £1 fares and new bus routes

A council tax precept could be increased to subsidise bus fares for under-25s and pay for new bus routes.

The proposals would see fares cut in half to £1 for a single journey across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The combined authority said its survey about increasing the precept, which would work out at about £24 for Band D properties, was backed by the majority of the 450 respondents.

The plans would be discussed at a council meeting on 31 January.

The mayoral precept was first added to council tax bills in April 2023 at a cost of £12 for a band D property. The proposed increase to £36 would come into effect from April 2024.

It was initially introduced to help subsidise a number of bus routes across the county that were no longer being run by commercial operator Stagecoach.

The additional money that could be raised in 2024/25 would subsidise a number of new routes and enhance existing services.

Papers released ahead of a meeting of the Combined Authority Board meeting suggested a number of possible other routes could be created.

These included orbital routes in Cambridge and Peterborough which avoided city centres.

In addition, a new "zipper" service between Ely and Mepal would be considered, as would extended evening services in Whittlesey.

The board papers also looked in to the possibility of franchising to improve bus services in the future.