4 |February 4, 2010 | www.newsandcrier.co.uk | NEWS&CRIER
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BBuuss ffiirrmmss'' aannggeerr
aatt ccoossttllyy ddeellaayyss
BUS operators have spo-
ken of their frustration that
Cambridgeshire's guided
busway is still not up and
running.
Stagecoach and Whippet
h a v e
both
been picked to run services
along the concrete track
between Cambridge and St
Ives.
But despite spending
nearly �3.5 million between
them on new vehicles to ferry
passengers to and fro, the
busway remains out of use.
The scheme is now more
than a year behind schedule.
Managing director of
Stagecoach Andy Campbell
said: "We have invested �3
million in specially adapted
buses for the route, and the
fact that it isn't open is
very frustrating from the
company's point of
view, from the public's
point of view and from
our staff's point of view.
"We were ready to run
services last spring with the
high-spec vehicles we
bought for the purpose.
"Instead, we have lost
revenue, including the cost
of taking on additional staff
that we haven't been able to
utilise yet.
"We're stuck in the mid-
dle, waiting for the issue to
be resolved.
"There just doesn't seem
to be a good reason for the
delay. We are happy with
the quality of the track, and
would have been happy to
begin last November, the
last start date that was
given."
Peter Lee, boss ofWhippet,
said the firm had bought
three new buses at a cost of
�420,000.
He said: "Am I concerned
about the fact that the
busway isn't open yet? Yes.
Am I frustrated? Yes. Am I
disappointed? Yes.
"We have bought three
new buses at a cost of
�140,000 each, with low-
floor wheelchair access and
so on, to run along the route.
"We aren't a big company,
and these were substantial
extra costs for us. Those
were extra costs we could ill
afford, and had we known
there would be such a big
delay, we might have saved
that money."
He added: "Of course the
buses are now getting older,
so there is depreciation in
value to worry about. But
there is nothing we can do �
we are in limbo, and just
have to wait."
What do you think?
Email your views to us at
letters@newsandcrier.co.uk
BY CHRIS ELLIOTT
editorial@newsandcrier.co.uk
Arson lessons for school
STUDENTS at Hinchingbrooke
School in Huntingdon have
been learning about the con-
sequences of arson and knife
crime in assemblies led by
Cambridgeshire Fire and
Rescue Service and the police.
Around 600 students at the
school took part in two spe-
cial assemblies where they
were told about the potential
life-threatening risks of start-
ing fire and using knives.
The assemblies followed an
increase in the number of
arson attacks in the
Huntingdon area last year.
Students also heard about
the impact of punishments on
offenders, including criminal
records and long prison sen-
tences in the talks by Kevin
James, community safety offi-
cer with the fire service, and
Police Community Support
Officers.
Mr James said: "In total 600
students took part in the
assembly.
"All of them responded
really well to the serious mes-
sage of arson and knife crime
and a full and frank discus-
sion took place in which we
all discussed the conse-
quences of these illegal activi-
ties."
Firefighters and police hope
that the message spreads
through the rest of the school.
MP calls for Afghanistan supportWWiinndd ttuurrbbiinnee ppllaannee ffeeaarrss
A CALL for more sup-
port from coalition
countries for British
troops fighting in
Afghanistan has been
made by North West
Cambridgeshire MP
Shailesh Vara.
He has urged the
government to try to
secure increased
backing from coali-
tion countries which
he believes could do
more in the fight
against the Taliban.
Mr Vara, whose con-
stituency includes RAF
Wittering and person-
nel from RAF Wyton,
said: "Some of Britain's
finest and bravest men
and omen are daily
putting their lives at
risk on the frontline in
Afghanistan.
"It is important that
our coalition partners
do more to support
them in the fight
against the Taliban.
"Although a small
number of coalition
countries are active on
the frontline, the
majority of the coun-
tries could do more."
He said the UK was
the second highest
contributor of troops
in Afghanistan after
the US.
Mr Vara asked
Foreign Secretary
David Miliband to try
to persuade more
coalition countries to
provide and Mr
Miliband replied that
he had made "an
important point".
MP Shailesh Vara.
FEARS have been raised
that a wind farm could
prove dangerous for
nearby airfields.
Energy firm Falck
Renewables has submit-
ted a bid to construct an
80m-high meteorologi-
cal monitoring mast on
farmland to the west of
the A1198, near
Arrington, as a precur-
sor to a possible wind
farm application.
There are fears there
could be implications
for Little Gransden
Airfield and at Gransden
Lodge Airfield.
But Coriolis Energy,
Falck's agent, said it was
too early to say whether
a wind farm proposal
would be submitted.
Andrew Watson, from
Cambridge Gliding
Centre at Gransden
Lodge Airfield said: "The
meteorological monitor-
ing mast would be in a
very inconvenient place
for the airfield and could
be a threat to safety."
Cllr Sebastian Kind-
ersley, the area's district
and county councillor,
said residents expected a
wind farm application to
be lodged.
He said: "I would also
be concerned about the
impact on local airfields,
and how a wind farm
could be slotted between
these and Wimpole
Hall."
Andy Campbell

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