Busway defects report - BAM Nuttall responds

I only have the Cambridge News report to go on, so I'm treading carefully (it would be nice if the BBC were to pick up this report and run a story on it, but I've been unable to find anything yet). The CN is currently running this story - it suggests (a) that BAM Nuttall's relations with the County Council haven't improved any, and (b) that they are quite prepared to put right any Busway faults for which they are responsible. Note this last phrase, because the current version of the CN headling on its website ("If there is anything wrong we will put it right") is definitely not supported by the company's statement further on in the story! It's only defects for which BAM Nuttall is responsible they are promising to correct. And there's no indication in the company's statement that they accept all (or, indeed, any) of Capita's findings. If there's one thing we can be sure of it's that this is likely to run for a little while yet! First of all we need to see what the County Council's General Purposes Committee makes of the report. That meeting takes place next Tuesday, 29 Nov.

Busway defects - report published

Just over a year ago, the County Council and BAM Nuttall agreed a temporary suspension in what had become an increasingly bitter "blame game" on the defects that had become all too apparent in the Busway's track and foundations (ok, you're right - that's my personal gloss, not the official line!). Indeed, they agreed to an independent survey and investigation, as reported in a blog posting from September 2015.

Well, the waiting is over. The issue is due to be discussed at the 29 November meeting of the County Council's General Purposes Committee, and in anticipation of that meeting the report of that investigation (mostly carried out by Capita) has just been posted on the County Council website. (except for one of the appendices, which has been withheld on grounds of confidentiality).

Documentation for this meeting can be found here.

The Cambridge News has already read the report and come to its own conclusion - the headline on its news story (i.e. the one that was there when I wrote this post) reads:

"Independent experts agree with Cambridgeshire County Council that Guided Busway contractors must pay for repairs"

If you want to read the CN's full story - and why wouldn't you, given that it might save you reading all 170-odd pages of documentation - here's the link.

Survey of busway structural faults

The legal dispute between Cambridgeshire County Council and BAM Nuttall, the contractors who built the busway, appears to be on hold while the two parties jointly fund a survey and investigation of the busway and its construction. Some elements of the survey will take place at night to minimise disruption to busway users.

Read more details at
http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Cambridgeshire-guided-busway-dug-investigations/story-27868295-detail/story.html

'Talking buses' trial survey

Stagecoach East are in the process of gaining feedback from their busway passengers regarding 'audio stop announcements' at each bus stop.

As noted in an earlier posting on this blog, Stagecoach have also been introducing visual stop information on routes A and B. The survey is seeking passengers' opinions on 'visual stop display' too.

If you complete a survey form and provide your name and contact details, you'll be entered into a prize draw to win up to a month's free travel.

Busway survey report

One reason the busway got funding was because it was hoped it would attract people out of their cars, and specifically people would switch from driving on the A14 to using the bus.

Cambridgeshire County Council has recently published a report which claims that the busway has taken 600,000 car journeys off the A14. See the Cambridge News website for more details of what the report says.

There is a link to the busway survey report here.