Stagecoach consultation

It's possible there are readers who aren't aware that Stagecoach East has, over the past few months, put in place an almost completely fresh management team. And they want to hear from Busway users - which is nice!

So from 1-21 July, Stagecoach will be asking the public for their views on its Busway services.

Here's a link to the announcement, from where you can access the survey.

As with all such surveys, there are prizes to tempt you to take part. But those who read this blog are unlikely to need such temptations to be persuaded to offer their opinions, I suspect...

Busway concrete - defence against melting tarmac?

As Britain and the Continent prepares for an early summer heatwave, I remembered the ruts gouged out by buses on city roads in previous years, particularly at tight turns. And I wondered if this could be a unique strength of the concrete-roaded busway - its immunity from tarmac melt?

Just think if it had been constructed as unguided, and of conventional tarmac - buses would be rutting themselves in shortly...

😉

Forthcoming Busway closure/diversion - extended periods

The Busway will be completely closed between Histon and the Orchard Park "junction" (where the A/D and B/P usually diverge heading into the city) between the following dates:

22 June - 7 July inclusive
25 July - 3 September inclusive

Here's a link to the Stagecoach announcement which gives details of the necessary diversions and alternative stops. I presume the Whippet P will take the same diversion as the Stagecoach B.

There's nothing about this major closure on the County Council's Busway site.

Audio announcements

I understand that Stagecoach are (or are about to start) trialling audio "next stop" announcements on one or two of their Busway vehicles. They are essential, of course, for the registered blind and for others with poor sight. And useful for anyone with their head stuck in a phone, not paying attention to where they are...

This information came from Ross Barton, Operations Manager with Stagecoach East, as part of his presentation at yesterday's Cambridge Area Bus Users meeting. Having been away for a couple of weeks, I can't personally verify whether the trial has actually started (Ross was unsure of the start date when put on the spot - not unreasonably!).

Car and bus wrecked in inferno at Longstanton

Shortly after this morning's (20 May) rush hour, a car and a bus were involved in a collision where the Busway crosses the B1050 at Longstanton. The car caught fire, and shortly afterwards that fire spread to the bus. Both vehicles were gutted in the resulting inferno.

The bus was a Stagecoach single decker on an outbound service. All the passengers were evacuated before the bus caught fire, but the driver was injured during the incident.

The bus came to rest on the bridleway to the north of the crossing, with the car seemingly almost alongside it on its offside.

There have been a number of sets of photographs and a couple of reports compiled during the course of the day, although none that I have seen yet attempt to explain what happened. Here are some links to Cambridgeshire Live, Cambridge Independent and BBC reports and photo galleries:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/live-updates-longstanton-bus-fire-16300218
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/longstanton-guided-busway-fire-stagecoach-16301288
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/pictures-show-busway-fire-longstanton-16300739
https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/local-news/gallery/bus-engulfed-by-flames-16301347
https://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/fire-after-bus-and-car-crash-on-guided-busway-9070720/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-48336219

Child cyclist injured in collision with bus

A child cyclist was injured in a collision on the Busway last Wednesday (1 May). The incident happened as the child crossed the busway adjacent to Kings Hedges Road.

Stagecoach report that their assessment of the onboard CCTV shows the cyclist pulling out "without looking".

The child's father feels that the positioning of pedestrian lights is confusing, in that they cover the road itself, but not the Busway. He is also calling for "change all along the busway" to prevent similar incidents in the future.

There are three reports on Cambridgeshire Live relevant to this item:

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/live-updates-guidedbusway-kingshedges-cyclist-16210973

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/busway-hit-girl-cyclist-kings-16212678

https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/stagecoach-guided-busway-cyclist-hit-16214926

Cyclist death "accidental"

The inquest into the death on the Busway of cyclist Steve Moir has concluded that his death was "accidental". As reported in a post at the time Mr Moir died in a head-on collision with a bus on the section of the Busway near to Long Road on 13 September. According to media reports from the inquest, which finished yesterday (3 May), he clipped the kerb whilst overtaking pedestrians, and fell onto the Busway in front of an oncoming bus. The bus was travelling within the speed limit (which has since been reduced) and the driver was found to have acted "appropriately" when he saw what was unfolding.

There have been calls from Mr Moir's family either for greater separation of the busway from the parallel bridleway (used extensively in this area by both cyclists and pedestrians).or for separation of those cyclists and pedestrians from each other.

The Health and Safety Executive is still investigating the incident.

More information is available on the BBC Cambridgeshire and Cambridgeshire Live websites.