Calls for Mayor to end bus isolation in Aldreth

County Councillor Tom Hawker-Dawson and Haddenham Parish Council are jointly calling on the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to take urgent action to improve public transport links to Aldreth.

This week, they wrote to the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, urging him to take action by extending the Ely Zipper bus service to serve Aldreth more frequently.

In their letters to the Mayor, Cllr Tom Hawker-Dawson (Liberal Democrat) and Haddenham Parish Council highlighted the impact of the current lack of provision on access to work, education, healthcare and social connection, particularly for residents without access to a car.

Aldreth currently has just two scheduled bus services per week and falls outside the Tiger On Demand service area. While the Ely Zipper runs regularly to nearby Haddenham and surrounding villages, it does not extend to Aldreth for most of the week, despite the village being only a short distance away.

Cllr Hawker-Dawson has been working closely with Haddenham Parish Council following concerns raised by Aldreth residents since his election in May this year. He has met with local operator Dews Coaches to better understand the operational feasibility of extending the current Ely Zipper route, and subsequently launched a community petition calling for fairer bus provision for Aldreth.

Cllr Tom Hawker-Dawson, County Councillor for Soham South and Haddenham, said:

“Extending the existing Zipper service to Aldreth would improve access to education, work, healthcare, and social opportunities, while reducing car dependency and supporting our environmental objectives. 

Haddenham Parish Council and I are therefore calling on the Mayor to review the current Zipper route and timetable with a view to incorporating Aldreth as soon as possible. 

This small but significant change would create a fairer, more inclusive transport network and would be warmly welcomed across our community.”

Cllr Stephen Thompson, Chair of Haddenham Parish Council, said:

“We are acutely aware of parking issues on High Street in Haddenham and in Ely. A bus service from Aldreth would offer alternatives to taking the car every time.

Public transport is essential for residents in our parish who do not have cars.
 

We urge the Mayor to consider this change to help out residents."

The petition remains open, and residents are encouraged to add their names in support of improved bus services for Aldreth. Residents can find the petition here: https://www.ecld.org.uk/campaigns/fair-public-transport-for-aldreth