Citi 7 timetable shock

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Stagecoach has published a new timetable for its Citi 7 service and it’s a bit of a shocker. Although changes had been trailed earlier with a mix of positives and negatives what’s actually transpired is largely negative.

For starters the frequency has been reduced. It has been six times an hour and now it’s just four. Six is what Stagecoach says is what’s needed to change habits. Now it seems they’re not interested in this and just want to cut costs and eliminate the admittedly empty buses during the daytime.

And secondly they’ve eliminated that part of the route that takes in Cambridge Road, Impington. The argument for this might be that people who live there can use the Guided Bus. There’s two problems with this. Firstly the Guided Bus follows a different route. And secondly many people who would have used the Citi 7 now how a much longer walk. The 400m footprint of access to a bus stop is less that 50% for the guided bus, which only has one stop of course, when compared with the old Citi 7 route.

Sue is amazed: ‘the reduction in service will give bus travellers more problems in the morning and evening rush hours. Buses are already full out of Cottenham. This will just make matters worse.’

David adds: ‘this appears cynical but it may backfire. The idea seems to be to get people in Impington who live up to a kilometre away to walk to the guided bus and to use this to get into the City. They won’t. They’ll take a car.’

David and Sue are working hard with parish councillors to get this change reversed. Sue says that Stagecoach is listening but that’ not yet the same as acting. Watch this space.

For a copy of the new timetable click here.

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