Cambridge guided busway to partially close amid safety review following deaths

A section of the guided busway in Cambridge is being temporarily closed as part of an ongoing independent safety review. 

The news comes after two deaths of the busway the first in 2018 and the second this year. 

In October this year, Kathleen Pitts, 52, was on foot when she was hit on the busway between Cambridge railway station and Long Road.

Since her death a 30mph speed limit is now in place on the city bound track all the way from Long Road Bridge to Hills Road Bridge.

In 2018 Steve Moir died when his bike clipped a kerb and he fell in front of a bus. Since then, his family have been calling for physical safety measures, including a fence.

Now, as part of a safety review between Cambridgeshire County Council and the Health and Safety Executive part of the road will be temporarily closed.

Cllr Peter McDonald, Chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We have taken the extremely difficult decision to partially close the southern section of the Guided Busway while we wait for the outcome of the independent safety review, following our ongoing communications with HSE.This is a temporary measure while the review we have commissioned is carried out."

The southern section will shut to inbound buses only, between Cambridge Railway Station and Addenbrooke's from mid-January.

From mid-January, the temporary partial closure will come into effect for inbound buses only and further measures, which includes painting new lines, installing signs and a temporary barrier to stop people from walking and cycling on the track that isn’t being used will be installed.

The independent safety review is expected to conclude in February.