I will end war on motorists, says Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s new Mayor

New Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Paul Bristow has declared he will “end the war on the motorist” and has scrapped the previous mayor’s pledge to cut car usage within five years.

Bristow took the post in this month’s mayoral elections, replacing Labour’s Dr Nik Johnson, who won the mayoralty in 2021 but did not stand for re-election.

Bristow told LTT: “I was elected to get Cambridgeshire and Peterborough moving. That means dualling our main A-roads, connecting with faster trains and building light rail in Cambridge.

“It also means ending the war on motorists. Most people don’t have a choice about using a car. On day one, I scrapped the absurd policy to cut road mileage by 15% within five years, which was never going to be achieved anyway.”

Nik Johnson's Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP) included the aim of cutting  he amount of miles driven on  the region's roads by 15% by 2030. This would be achieved primarily by making public transport and walking and cycling an attractive alternative, Johnson had said.

Bristow insisted that “buses matter too”. He told LTT: “The key thing is to ensure they are reliable, regular and serving rural areas properly. I will be holding a summit of all bus, coach and community transport operators to establish a proper partnership, working together to improve services.”

In another departure from the previous mayor, he said he would not use the Council Tax mayoral precept to support bus services. Last year Nik Johnson announced increases from £12 to £36 a year for a Council Tax band D property to pay for an £11m bus improvement package, including 30 new and improved routes (LTT894).

Bristow said: “I will fix the franchising plan so it no longer relies on heavy borrowing and hiking the Mayoral precept.”

The new Mayor has pledged to extend the Tiger bus pass, which offers £1 journeys for under 25s.

“With the Tiger Pass funding due to run out mid-year, I’ll introduce a permanent, reduced-fare travel pass so that children and young people can continue to get on a bus for less,” he said.

“There is a huge amount that we need to do. I also want to get the Government behind some of our key regional priorities, like unlocking rail capacity at Ely Junction. Fixing the bottleneck there is not only good for freight, but would allow a much faster train between Peterborough and Cambridge.

“The growth of Cambridge is an opportunity for the entire region. I want to hunt as a pack with our council leaders to get the investment that we need. By getting transport and infrastructure right, we can make growth deliver for the people who already live here. ”