£5 city access charge for Cambridge. I said I’d write a blog over the weekend but I’ve been directed to this which clearly lays things out better than I could. There will be blogs in the future.
Here are a few key points;
-the vote in September is not on a city access charge but on agreeing to have a public consultation on how a charge would work.
-the current proposals are incomplete. Consultation responses will be used to develop a better model.
-consultation responses will determine next steps.
-the earliest any scheme would be delivered is 2026/27.
-if you want better buses in Cambridgeshire in and around Cambridge this is the only proposal on the table, there is no plan B. The government didn’t award the county a penny through their ‘Bus back better scheme’. Conservatives have abandoned the Oxford- Cambridge area to focus on northern cities. People are always asking for better buses but there are no easy answers. If we want better buses this is the proposal and we as a society have to decide how serious we are about better public transport.
-investment will also be made in improving cycle routes into and around the city such as the Waterbeach greenway.
-this proposal is about improving public transport so that those who don’t have access to a car aren’t locked out of education, employment, health and leisure opportunities
-it’s also for environmental reasons, reducing carbon and improving air quality.
hiopcouncillors 