New busway fencing 'a wall you can't see past'

6 hours ago

Kate Moser AndonCambridgeshire political reporter

News image — Residents said the fences made it more difficult to see buses and cyclists using the busway

BBC One of the busway crossings. There are silver and yellow metal barriers on either side and signs saying to look both ways, for cyclists to dismount and to keep off the busway tracks. — Residents said the fences made it more difficult to see buses and cyclists using the busway

Newly installed safety fencing will be replaced at some crossing points along Cambridgeshire's guided busway, following complaints it had created "a wall you can't see past".

The county council has been installing metal barriers along much of the 16-mile (26km) route, after three people were struck and killed by buses on the network.

People in Trumpington told the BBC that new 4ft 11in (1.5m) railings had reduced visibility when crossing, with one calling it an "accident waiting to happen".

The council said officers had examined two crossings and deemed them "safe to use", but the yellow fencing would be replaced with new panels "that have different spacings and provide a more open view".

The county council was fined £6m last year following three deaths on the busway between 2015 and 2021.

In response, the authority began putting up fencing in April to separate the busway, where a modified bus is guided along a track, from the adjacent shared-use paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

The guided busway with metal fencing visible all along the track, protecting the busway from the footpath. There are warning signs on the road surface and trees and buildings visible in the background. — New safety fencing is being installed along much of the Cambridgeshire guided busway, which runs from Cambridge to St Ives and Huntingdon

The busway as you approach the crossing. It says to look both ways, and leads to a path. In the distance there are buildings. There are yellow and grey metal barriers on the crossing, and a gap where the crossing is. — Cyclists described crossing the busway, including this junction towards the Biomedical Campus, as a "leap of faith"

Gaps have been created in the fencing where there are dedicated crossing points, but there are concerns the layout has unwittingly created more danger.

Jannah Bevelle, 38, a mum-of-three, said one of the crossings, between Trumpington's primary school and shops, was "effectively a wall you can't see past".

She said: "When it's rush-hour it's chaos, so we totally avoid the busway and bike crossing.

"I feel like it's an accident waiting to happen."

Jannah is looking at the camera. She has tied back brunette hair and a dark green parker jacket. In the background are grass and trees from a nature reserve. — Jannah Bevelle said she and her three children avoided crossing the busway during busy times

Rosie Carew, 29, who uses the crossing between Hobson's Brook and the Biomedical Campus, said the layout was "incredibly dangerous".

She said: "I'm quite tall so I feel I should be able to see over the railings, but I still struggle."

Rosie is looking at the camera, and in the background are buildings. She has tied back brunette hair and is wearing a brown coat. — Rosie Carew said she struggled to look over the railings on the busway junction at Hobson's Brook

Cyclist Tom Reville, 44, said crossing the same junction felt like a "leap of faith", adding: "I stop, look and listen and take care, which I should do, but it's a lot harder than it sounds to actually do that here."

Jesse Zondervan, 31, also cycles through the junction on his way to the train station, and said it was "complicated and busy".

"When there's a bit more traffic, it's a bit confusing, like, who has right-of-way? It's not very clear at all."

Jesse has brown hair and is wearing a jumper and jacket. His head and shoulders are visible and there are trees in the background. — Jesse Zondervan said it was not always clear who had right of way when crossing

David Levien, Liberal Democrat councillor for Trumpington, said he was receiving many emails from residents about the crossings, admitting "what we've got is not a terribly good solution".

He explained that the barriers created defined crossing areas, "so for the bus drivers they know people are going to be crossing", but they had ended up quite narrow.

"I say to people, just 'please be careful'," he said.

In a statement, Cambridgeshire County Council said it was "aware of concerns within the community around the safety of two crossing points on the guided busway".

"Officers have responded to these concerns by visiting the locations and determining both are safe to use.

"New safety features, such as making the crossing points narrower and installing 'cyclist dismount' signage, have recently been introduced here. Bus speed is also restricted to 15mph (24km/h).

"Additionally, the safety panels at the immediate crossing points, which meet the required standards, will soon be replaced with new panels that have different spacings and provide a more open view."