Misguided & Bust - the unfolding story of the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway

Cambridgeshire's Guided Busway finally opened on the the announced opening day, August 7th 2011.

It is built on the former track bed of the Cambridge-St Ives railway that principal objector CAST.IRON wanted to reinstate.

The record breaking, budget-busting busway has generated vigorous disagreement between the proponent Cambridgeshire County Council and numerous objectors.

Buses are finally running, but council tax payers have been taken for one hell of a ride for years.

The build cost is hugely over-budget, and a protracted legal fight is imminent between Council and contractor BAM Nuttall.

This website is an archive of the media coverage from 2003 to the present, with our own take on the events.

Busway view. Picture courtesy Jamie's blog

Brought to you in glorious ~~ChummsVision~~™ ~~ShonaVision~~™ ~~BradneyVision~~™ ~~PegramVision~~™ BatesVision™

Comment

Links to years: 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Contact us Subscribe to our news feed:

Guided Bus Broken promises

GB Leaflet from 2004

Hinchingbrooke Hospital was promised as destination

BBC website from 2008

No answer to "What local services will be axed?"

Our comparison chart shows Guidedbus is slower than rail was in 1849

We're now on Twitter, bringing you the bad news fast! Follow @NoGuidedBus

Latest media reports

2014

April 30 - Rethink guided busway extension idea

Cambridge residents tell county council

April 04 - Serious guideway faults found

Cracking busway Grommit!

2013

Feb 23rd - Guided bus legal battle bill nearly Ł5m. No end in sight

Things can only get better?

Feb 21st - Investigation launched after crash

But in-house - no involvement of HSE?

Feb 20th - Flooded-out cyclists put lives on line

Either they drown, or get run over. Nice

15th Feb - Buses collide on guided busway

Not the first crash, nor the last

Feb 11th - Wrong turn leaves car stranded on busway

Not an uncommon event

Jan 15th - How 18 cars got stuck at one busway junction

Motorists trying it on?

Jan 9th - Police close file on guided busway accident

Brakes apparently optional on buses

Jan 7th - Wheel comes off busway jibes aimed at council

Mysteriously Atkins gets off lightly

2012

Dec 29th - Man injured as guided bus pulls away at stop

I'm surprised more incidents like this aren't reported

Dec 24th - Car gets stuck on guided busway

Nice, just in time for Christmas

Dec 21st - Man seriously injured in guided busway collision

Fail to understand why bus failed to stop

Dec 6th - What you don't like on buses

High prices?

Dec 4th - 105 gripes on guided bus sent in to council

'I wish to make a complaint'

New awards success for guided busway

Leather seats and Wi-Fi apparently well worth the wait

Sept 6th - Ł100m bill facing taxpayers if council loses busway fight

It'll end in tears for council tax payers, while lawyers laugh on the Busway trip to the bank

April 10th - Busway sparks new fight for school bus

Maintenance track deemed to dangerous to use as school route for children

April 10th - Guided bus court case won't start until 2014

Day of reckoning also delayed by 2 years?

Jan 5th 2012 - Guided busway was sheer folly

Letter from Tim Phillips

Dec 6th - Car driver stuck on busway says 'sun was in my eyes'

Trapped driver looks down in the dumps

Aug 25th - Extra busway services confirmed

Wait until the schools go back.

Aug 8th - Cambridgeshire's Guided Busway opens to passengers

It's Railly here

Aug 8th - Cambridgeshire's guided bus finally opens - after years of waiting

Beware Gushing Video!

Aug 7th - Latest updates on guided busway opening

Finally it's open. We at NoGuidedBus.com can hardly believe it.

Aug 6th - Exclusive! CAST.IRON journey times comparison shows Busway is next to useless at speeding journeys

Ł180 million later, and we find despite their promises, it's a White Elephant. Quelle surprise!

Aug 5th - Radio 4 you and Yours tackles the busway

Not exactly a glowing report on the MGB. features Bunker Bob, Tim Phillips & Julian Huppert

Busway ready to welcome first passengers

Provincial Press Pumps out Press Releases

Aug 5th - Guided bus 'will not deliver any benefits' campaigners claim

Stating the obvious - it's a slow hard road to Cambridge City Centre. Only denizens of the Science Park living in St Ives may be pleased.

Aug 4th - A look at the guided bus's sisters around the world

"Hoards of enthusiasts expected to jump on board in Cambridgeshire". Really? Curious maybe, enthusiatic, well...

Aug 4th - Longest Guided Busway in the world set to open this weekend

Finally Gareth gets to write some good news as Bunker Bob gets ready to show off his busway

Aug 4th - Bunker Bob pops up with Wonderbus Tabloid

Glossy Stuff

Aug 4th - Guided busway bosses prepared for terrorist attack

Pity they're not prepared for passengers - the interchange at main rail station is unfinished

August 3rd - Busway scheme hit by cash hole

Councils get out their begging bowls and polish them

Aug 3rd - Guided busway timetables - see full schedule here

The comments aren't exactly complimentary :)

Aug 2nd - 'Settle Ł64m guided bus legal battle out of court'

Beardie speaks in favour of pragmatism

July 27th - BBC 5 Live tackles the busway

Tim Phillips puts the boot in over build cost of busway

August 1st - Smartcard ticket launched in time for busway opening

Just squeaked this in before the opening day

July 31st - butterflies, birds and buses on the move

Why did the butterfly flutter by? Because it spied the busway greening itself

July 29th - Council goes to court to get guided busway money back

Brown trousers now standard issue at Council

Emergency teams reach sick cyclist via guided busway

What was that bump in the track?

July 22nd - Take seat in guided bus

Busway now powered by PR Puff

July 20th - Not long to wait for phone app on bus movements

There's an App for that

July 19th - Rush to end repairs to guided bus car park

Council borrowing from the future to fix the busway

July 18th - A cyclist hit by a guided bus suffered serious injuries

Safety concerns apparent over design of busway

Win ticket to ride as VIP in first trip on guided bus

Councillor Bates brandishes a bunch of Jiffy Bags for The 'News

July 12th - All-green guided busway building

Council offers Pats on Backs all round. Gets Brickbats from residents.

July 10th - a crocodile, a whale and 133 birds

Lesser spotted bus may have been detected on busway. Not a "wow" moment though.

July 8th - Video: Guided bus is ready to go

Only 'claimed' to be ready?? Cambridge News unusually skeptical.

July 7th - 'Risk' that council may miss Ł50m cuts target

Core services at risk as budget for Busway tramples funding for other council services?

June 30th - Firefighters start training on guided busway

Cllr Bates: "...a huge number of people will be very pleased when buses begin to run" - Tory County Councillors presumably

June 28th - Video: Thousands of tiny toads killed on the guided busway

The curse of the Guided Bus visited on peripatetic pond dwellers

June 22nd - Video: Guided bus breakdown 'no problem'

Another scintillating video not showing a recovery truck reversing for miles to reach a busted bus.

June 20th - Other busways still on course despite blunders

Every little (bit of vaguely good news) helps?

Guided busway timetables unveiled - see full schedule here

Apparently is faster than a cart and horse on mogadon

June 16th - Guided busway legal battle 'could cost Ł6.5 million'

Battle of Buses paid for by Council tax payers presumably, while councillors go on to better things elsewhere

June 13th - Ł40,000 bus shelters will be built - even though there are no buses

Handy for street party BBQ's ?

June 12th - 'Pay us back the cost of guided busway delays'

Busway is a dog, says Whippet boss.

June 10th - City residents given extra guided busway boost

Whippet say they'll actually pick up city passengers, unlike ~~Stagecoach~~ a rival operator

June 10th - Opening date fails to lift gloom over guided busway

The Guilty Men line up for a mugshot as readers condemn their project

June 9th - August 7 opening date announced

Launch date of ~~Apollo 13~~ ~~Titanic~~ ~~Poll tax~~ ~~Old Labour~~ ~~free money~~ ~~euthenasia for 50+~~ busway announced

June 6th - 'Billennium Path' jibe for troubled route's cycleway

Nellie = Elephant's Trunk Route

May 20th - Busway defect repairs could result in August opening

We've been talkin' 'bout Jackson, ever since the fire went out.. (with BAM)

April 28th - Guided bus cost 'may hit Ł187m'

What goes up, must ........ go up

April 23rd - Busway handover welcomed but there is more work to do (on PR)

'Perennial delays which have dogged the busway cannot go on indefinitely any more'. Definitely not, indefinitely no more, not not not.

April 20th - New kid on block says job is right up his street

Cllr Clarke guzzles from poisoned chalice passed to him by predecessors. How long will he last before being run over by a ~~guided~~ bus?

April 11th - Why are staff employed on guided bus?

But actually doing other stuff. Never mind, BAM will pay for them.

April 7th - County bids for transport funds

"So that will end up as Ł10 for a new cats eye on the A14, Ł4,499,990 for cycling facilities and half a million quid for the councillors consultant mates"

April 7th - Ł590k plan for real-time bus information approved

It's real time information: NO GUIDED BUSES

Guided busway 'progress report' sparks laughter from public gallery

Observer of Emperor cries out, "But he isn't wearing anything at all!

April 21st - Guided Bus finally handed over

Yes, you heard it right. Should we stop the dosh-clock now?

April 20th - New busway safety checks needed after blunder

Oh, it all makes work for the working man to do..

April 20th - BAM NUTTALL BLUNDER REQUIRES FURTHER SAFETY CRITICAL CHECKS

~~Councillor Pregram~~

Why are staff employed on guided bus?

Painting railings say LibDems. Oh, is there an election coming?

April 7th - County bids for transport funds

What - another Gilded bus stop? Sustainable transport funding, my a***

April 6th - Guided busway paperwork 'could be finished by Friday'

It wasn't of course.

April 5th - Guided busway 'progress report' sparks laughter from public gallery

Why are we waiting, etc

April 5th - Look, we'll have the bl**dy thing anyway, we don't care if it isn't finished

~~Desperate~~ 'Pragmatic' solution proposed

April 1st - Bus services cut - but Ł590,000 spent on new signs

Real time bus information: = NO BUSES =

April 1st - You could waste away waiting for guided bus

April 1st generates a limp joke

March 15th - Council anger over further busway delays

More posing by Council

March 13th - Villagers say bus cuts will isolate the elderly

S'alright, they'll stay stuck at home and won't vote.

March 4th - Busway delays cost contractors Ł10 million

It's all BAM's fault so there!

March 4th - BAM NUTTALL BUSWAY DELAYS COST CONTRACTOR Ł10 MILLION

Press office get out their calculator

Feb 22nd - BUSWAY CONTRACTOR DATES "TAKEN WITH A PINCH OF SALT"

Says CCoC press office. Salt shortages imminent then, better stockpile?

Feb 25th - St Ives-Cambridge guided busway delayed yet again

As expected, another delay

Feb 23rd - Builders of busway 'may be obstructing progress'

Heave-Ho BAM Nuttall?

Feb 22nd - Rail could be Cambs A14 option

Has sense dawned at last?

Feb 10th - Hand over final guided busway paperwork, council tells contractor

The charade continues

Feb 3rd - Loony plan for rubber bus line stretching to Jersey

"Even the Official Monster raving Loony Party couldn't have thought of the guided bus. It is the biggest joke going".

Jan 18th - One in 10 busway track joints could be 'faulty'

Spreading out the bad news? Two years on, blunderbus bosses finally notice that concrete beam gaps are too small.

Jan 14th - Motorists see red as lights for guided bus stop the traffic

Faulty sensors blamed. Or is it censors?

Jan 11th - Guided bus may start running this summer

Maybe May, or Maybe not

2011

Dec 17th - Guided bus: your views

"I imagine it will take a lot of promotion to get people to use it after its reputation" - Who pays for that?

Dec 16th - Cambridge guided busway checked amid row over delays

Guided buses get green lights at junctions.

Dec 14th - BAM NUTTALL FAIL TO DELIVER ON CHRISTMAS PLEDGE

Says CCoC press office

Dec 14th - Busway contractors fined for Christmas break

Bunker Bob's little elves get fined for taking time off over Xmas

Dec 9th - Buses Set To Run On Busway For Final Traffic Signal Checks

Says CCoC press office

Shortage of bus kill due to Toad Tunnels threatens new restaurant's menu

Back to the old Rabbit & Partridge pies then?

Report to cabinet on Dec 14th: List of defects to be fixed by Council's framework contractor

Popular cycleway sections liable to flooding will be closed off with gates to deter users.

Dec 6th - Council Confirm Plans To Correct Contractor's Defects On Busway

Says CCoC press office

Dec 7th - Cambridge's guided bus report: latest on the project

If you don't fix it, we will! But there's nothing wrong with it! Yes there is! No there isn't! Is Is! Isn't! Isn't!

Dec 7th - Busway bosses ready to ditch BAM Nuttall

DAMN BAM:BAM!

Dec 6th - Tunnels to be dug underneath guided busway

Toad in hole served up for animal lovers hopping mad over "corridor of death"

Dec 3rd - Hester Bluemental to open new Wild Meat Restaurant in Cambridge

He's game for a laugh - The Fat Toad is a sure hit with foodies.

Dec 2nd - Guided bus: Highlights of the BBC Cambridgeshire debate

BBC edited highlights - add your comments at the end...

Dec 2nd - Cost of guided busway climbs to Ł181 million

Staggering! Where will it end? (Answer: in court)

Dec 2nd - No buses? Just walk this way

Wot no bus? Snow sculpture verdict on MGB

Dec 1st - BBC Cambridgeshire's Andie Harper interviews Shona Johnstone

She's still right of course, but less strident

Nov 30th - Guided bus fleet is gathering dust

A mothballed bus gathers ~~no profit~~ dust . Stagecoach in contract renewal gambit.

Nov 30th - Operator Stagecoach 'may pull out of Cambridge busway'

Campbell has an attack of The Glums

Nov 18th - In our fuss-about-nothing section: 'Concerns over 'too low' busway bridges are rebuffed'

Councillor Williams's offending blog post

Nov 15th - Cambridge guided bus completes first trial run through Trumpington Cutting

'Still work for BAM Nuttall to complete before the route can be handed over' Now where have I heard that before?

Nov 11th - Guided busway overspend tops Ł50m

So far that is...

Nov 11th - The stop zone where kissing can start

Advise don't get a ride with Bunker Bob and his mates...

Report to cabinet on 16/11/10: This is a defect. No it isn't! Yes it is! No it isn't!

Sellout last year's Christmas Panto is still running

Cambridge busway debacle

Christian Wolmar tells the tale: "It seemed a good idea at the time".

Oct 29th - Council Tax Payers warned of potential extra Ł60 million bill if Cambs lose guided bus arguments

Or is it 50m ? What's 10m between ~~friends~~ enemies?

Oct 28th - Operators concerned over spiralling costs

The wheels on the bus have come off

Oct 28th - Guided busway could have opened a year ago - contractor

Council is outfoxed

Oct 27th - Graham Hughes from Cambridgshire County Council interviewed on BBC Cambridgeshire

Construction defects must be attended to before opening

Oct 27th - Stephen Fox from BAM Nuttall interviewed on BBC Cambridgeshire

Doesn't accept that mistakes have been made in construction, busway could be running now

Oct 27th - The guided busway contractor BAM Nuttall speaks out

Fox finally bites the hand that feeds it

Oct 27th - Southern busway just ‘days away’ from being ready

Could take vehicles, err, but won't just yet

Oct 26th - "Please disclose all correspondence between BAM Nuttall and Cambridgeshire County Council relating to the proposed handover and opening of the guided busway in November 2009"

Dirt thanks to Councillor Rupert Moss-Eccardt

Oct 26th - Shortcut bid for guided bus ‘unacceptable’

Oh, Mr Pegram, what shall we do, our contract is rubbish, and the project's turned to poo

Oct 16th - Bus interchange go-ahead means work will start soon

Soon means when? It's inadequately designed as expected, with no long distance coaches or drop-off points

Report to County Council Cabinet 26th October on progress of busway

Unhappy reading for busway fans

Oct 15th - No progress means more waiting for Cambs Guided Bus

Bob can we fix it? No we can't!

Oct 12th - Decisive business thumbs-down for Leigh busway. Public doesn't want it despite plans

Busway would just add to traffic congestion.

Oct 11th - Low-carbon building boost for Cambridge busway

Greenwash dosh?

Oct 11th - Busway stops for Christmas break

Yeah, yeah, predictable moaning about BAM:BAM holidays in December... just like last year.

Oct 7th - Final beams laid

Yes, it's 'finished' again, this time the southern guideway. But Champagne is still in Bob's fridge.

Oct 5th - Final beam is laid on guided busway

The final beam of the final guideway

Sept 29th - Legal action inevitable over St Ives-Cambridge guided busway

Letter from Cllr Pegram

Sept 29th - 'Ł2m improvements to transport go on hold'

Projects that could have been saved if the authority had not sunk so much cash into the guided busway?

Sept 29th - 'More problems could emerge for guided bus'

Another day in the continuing busway disaster story

Sept 28th - Blogger Jamie gets on his bike & reports on the state of the guideway

Thanks for taking such lovely pics!

Sept 28th - 'Council starts own guided busway inspections'

BAM:BAM? no thank you m'am!

Sept 28th - County Council Cabinet meeting to discuss progress of busway

Briefing document (Word)

Sept 27th - 'Cabinet will decide on Ł2 million savings that must be made on county’s transport budget'

Well everything else cut, except the bl**dy guided bus costs

Sept 23rd - 'St Ives-Cambridge guided busway: independent inquiry promised as further delay revealed'

Bus lurches twixt farce and fiasco.

Sept 21st - 'Independent review of guided busway announced'

...after the ‘inevitable’ court action over the contractor’s overspend

Sept 21st - Independent review of guided busway announced

To consider the conduct of bosses behind the much-delayed scheme, engineering firm BAM Nuttall, and the standard contract being used

Sept 21st - County Council announces independent public review as BAM Nuttall again fail to deliver

But they don't give a start date, it could be years away after the legal wrangling is finished

Sept 15th - Letter: What an odd contract! - "...recovery could be years away, if anything is recovered at all"

Oh dear...

Sept 15th Letter - St Ives-Cambridge guided busway - what is Plan B on cost overrun?

Well, Councillor Pegram?

Sept 14th - Luton is third worst in green travel league

But the Ł90 million scheme is safe says Gubmnt.

Sept 14th - 96% say no to Busway' says LibDem survey of Luton residents

It's not popular but they ~~won't~~ can't stop it. Why?

Sept 9th - Now it’s south section of guided busway in trouble

Won't be finished by Christmas then?

Sept 7th - Exasperated Cambs councillors face new guided busway delay

~~Inspector~~ Pegram: "I hate you Nuttall"

Sept 3rd - Guided busway: Cambs v Manchester - Prof Knowles: "I have concerns following my visit to Cambridgeshire."

Bunker Bob busy updating his C.V.

Sept 2nd: Huppert "not surprised" guided busway on hold

Are we surprised either?

Sept 1st: BBC interview Manchester's Prof Knowles about his visit to Cambridgeshire

Bet he's glad to go home (by train)

Sept 1st - St Ives to Cambridge guided bus firm faces Ł45m bill

See you in court Mr Nuttall?

Sept 1st - Manchester busway may be ditched after Cambridge visit

Cambridge News picks up on the story

August 30th - Busway to open in the spring of 2011?

Aug 31st - Manchester's Leigh busway project has been put on hold after a councillor visited the budget-busting Cambridge Busway

Aug 28th - 'Mr Busway’ hopes he’s on track for by-election victory

No chance! Rug pulled from under Matt

August 27th - 'Council will finish off work on guided busway'

So who pays for that?

August 24th - 'Mr Busway’ hopes he’s on track for by-election victory'

BradneyVision™ to make a comeback? Use your vote wisely...

Aug 11th - Guided Bus work going well...but just not on St Ives stretch

Nowhere near completed it says

August 8th - Key part of long-overdue busway is finished early

A key part, or a forgotten part?

August 6th - Luton Dunstable Busway contract to be kept secret

~~Political~~ Commercial secret?

July 31st - Busway bosses plan for emergency vehicles to use track

But it has to be used, as the maintenance track floods!

July 28 - MP brands busway ‘a white elephant’

City MP Julian Huppert shows his colours

July 27th - City M.P. Julian Huppert speaks in parliamentary debate on transport issues

Moving speech

July 25th - NoGuidedBus.com gets 'On The Buses'

Fame at last!

July 20th - Tim Phillips interviewed on BBC Cambridgeshire about Cast.Iron's Milton Road Station proposal

Making them an offer they can't refuse

July 20th - Poor condition of cycle track shown in blog photos

And this is in Summer!

July 19th - Bus companies are in an unhappy position

The constant whining noise is not coming from the axle. Thanks to Brynley

July 15th - Beleaguered busway opens its first branch line - Council jokes: "we've already logged the issue"

No injuries were reported

July 9th - Busway may open in December

Just in time for Christmas maybe?

July 7th - Cambridgeshire's guided busway contractors warned

Complete the entire project by December 2010, or hand over control

July 6th - Phew an article at last: 'Council could be forced to finish guided busway work'

Bunker Bob to get his shovel out?

July 5th - County Council in press release famine shock horror void. Worrying lack of news since last week

Phew!

July 2nd - Revenue and patronage worries surface. Stagecoach say build problems should have been fixed by now

Council moots 'new deals' to raise more income from the guideway. Whatever do they mean?

July 01 - Growing fears that guided buses won’t run until 2011

Another day, another gloomy headline for the Blunderbus

June 30th - Bendy Bus system in Bristol is out of shape as everything stops for a tea break

Bananas

June 22 - Guided bus experts’ fee tops Ł5.5m

Some 'experts' they have proved to be

June 19th - Could rubber have erased guided busway problems?

Rubber man says coat the busway in the stuff as the silly season starts early

June 18 - Still no defect work completed on Guided Bus

I thought the whole thing was defective from the start?

June 18 - The Busway update: County publishes list of defects

Archived here

June 16th - 'Hard times prompt fears of bus interchange being axed' - "Nothing is certain in this economic climate" says Pegram

Death, taxes, ineptitude of CCoC

June 16 - Council slam ‘inept’ guided bus contractors

Now it's SLAM:BAM:BAM

June 09 - Busway overspend blamed for cuts. Pain and no gain, but only 1million overspend we are led to believe

So, council taxpayers not subsidising the guided bus project was a ~~lie~~ ~~mistake~~ wishful thinking?

June 02 - Hot weather tests on Cambridge to St Ives busway track

Hotted up bus

June 02 - Farewell Edinburgh’s busway but BRT lives on

Another one bites the dust

May 29 - Local M.P. calls for guided bus enquiry

Julian won't be invited for coffee and sandwiches anymore at Shire hall. Pity, the sandwiches are pretty good.

May 26th - Latest broadside fired at busway contractorBAM:BAM -> BAM:BAM

BAM:BAM -> BAM:BAM I'll get you Nuttall!

May 20 - Probe into guided bus is rejected

Ow, that hurts!

May 18 - No opening date for guided bus until "at least July"

They can't help ~~shooting themselves in foot~~ giving us non-opening dates!

May 13 - Guided Bus good headline shock horror - Cambridge Station area has been finished

Pity the bus doesn't run to there from St Ives

May 13 - Long wait for bus gets even longer as deadlines pass

County says "it's not our fault Gov"

May 6th - St Ives to Cambridge guided busway defects checklist update

Your updates will be updated

May 6 - Cycleway to be narrowed and elevated to stop flooding

~~Maintenance track~~ Cycleway

May 5th - Delayed guided busway step closer

Should it be rolls slowly forward?

May 5 - Cambridge guided busway's track base to be checked

The Answer lies in the soil - BAM:BAM to do a bit of digging

May 5 - Photo archive of busway by 'Frachon'

April 28 - More guided busway delays

I love deadlines, it's the whooshing sound they make as they fly by

April 23 - Problem jobs on busway ‘to be finished by mid-June’

~~Spin~~ ~~progress~~ ~~news~~ wishful thinking comes thick and fast...

April 22 - "CCoC ...is confident its contractor will get cracking"

Like the concrete beams you mean?

April 21 - Transport bosses miss deadline to name opening date

This is news?

April 16 - 'Dr B Ching' publishes critique of MGB in Private Eye magazine

Lord Gnome investigates

April 15 - CAST.IRON submits a proposal for a Milton Road station to DfT

Station to Station

April 02 - We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ban the building of busways on disused railway lines

The usual suspects

April 01 - Busway progress after talks

A good day to bury good news? No no, really, it isn't an April Fool article!

April 01 - Special announcement from NoGuidedBus.com

March 31st - Letter fron Tim Phillips: Direct route is beside the A14

Fundamentally flawed

March 25th - County is obstructive and coughs up old defects document in response to an FOI request by Ian Jackson

Apparently "defects" are not the same as "snags", so he has had to make a new request

March 15th - Edinburgh council in "bitter row with their German contractor" over tramworks

Have appointed tough guy to defend themselves

March 10th - Cambridgeshire council wants busway defects fixed

Feb (09) - Edinburgh tram contractors have tried get more money

"Critics paint a picture of a scheme in chaos, with project managers lacking experience and out of their depth"

March 19th - DfT releases funds for Luton guided busway

So do you still believe government when they say "lessons will be learned" ?

March 19th - St Ives-Cambridge: Breakthrough on guided bus stalemate

No wellies will now be required by cyclists

March 18th - Guided Busway is a transport disaster by Mike Mason:

Page 1

Page 2

Page 3

Page 4

Reformatted version

March 17th - Bam:Bam to give talk on how to build busway

Unlikely to say that they took a radical approach: 50% overbudget!

March 16th - Date for opening expected after busway 'progress'

March 11th - Cambridge News article - Losing track of the start date for bus?

March 10th: Transport minister announces Ł80 million funding for Luton busway (Video)

Mad

March 10th - Tim Phillips interviewed on Look East

Tim Phillips interviewed on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Cambridge News extensive coverage of The Blunderbus

Contractor attacks council over guided bus criticism

Bam! Bam! Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon his head..

Dismay over paralysed busway

From our 'you couldn't make it up guv, department' - Luton busway to get gov funding!

The forgotten Southern section of the Guided Busway, photos taken early January 2010

Concrete pads

The route to the Trumpington P&R site

March 10th - BAM Nuttall unhappy that CCoC have released their critical report. Brian Smith interviewed

March 9th - Desperate Busway Team has made public a critical report to cabinet

March 9th - Council blames contractor for guided bus delay

March 3rd - Let's have REAL rail says Norman

Flooding problems - here is a culvert and maintenance track in dry conditions Here it is badly flooded. Will amphibious vehicles be used on the maintenance track? Bob investigates

Pictures courtesy of The Cambridge Busway blog

27th Feb - Biggest shambles' verdict for busway

And the longest

24th Feb - Ł161million - true cost of busway finally revealed (?)

23rd Feb - Cllr Mike Mason and Brian Smith interviewed on Radio Cambs Andie Harper show

County Council having to borrow to finish off the works

23rd Feb - Transport bosses take out loans to pay for guideway, total cost balloons to Ł161million

40 million smackers

Councillor Mike Mason's documentation on the busway problems

19th Feb - Bus slogan drives home anger over guideway delays

Letter: Hardly suprising according to Cllr Mike Mason

18th Feb - Letter: Pregnant lady hit by bus - you ain't seen nuthin' yet

17th Feb - Cambridge to St Ives guided busway stand-off continues

15th Feb - Bus slogan displays operators's frustration over unopened busway

10th Feb - South East Cambs Lib Dem says budgets will be raided for Ł5 million MGB legal costs

9th Feb - Guided bus delays spark anger

At last!

6th Feb - Bob Menzies 'Head of Delivery' delivers himself to conference. Let's hope he's on time!

BBC Cambridgeshire interview with Brian Smith of CCoC - there are Ł14,000 per day penalties (!)

2nd Feb - Bus operators 'hit out' at costly hold-ups to guided busway

Busway robbery

Feb - Cambridge to St Ives guided bus disagreements will affect council's cash flow

Jan 29th - Ł1m of our tax cash may be spent on bus

Jan 22nd - Guided bus delay will affect Cambridgeshire County Council's cash flow says audit chief

Jan 13th - Fears for Cambridgeshire's Ł116m guided bus scheme

Letter: Misguided in many ways

Angry response to massive cuts

"There are bits to finance the guided bus..."

Jan 7th - Guided busway path hit by freezing floods

Jan 4th - No deadline set for Cambridge guided busway completion

Letter: Wrong time for bus opposition - Julian Huppert wades in

Millions at stake after latest busway wrangle

Local taxpayers may subsidise costs by Ł1 million extra a year for ...how long?

2010

Dec 5th - Millions at stake after latest busway wrangle

Dec 4th - County press release: No worries mate!

Letter: Monorail makes long-term sense

No wheels on my wagon, and I'm still trolling along

Guided bus 'millions of pounds over budget'

Surprise? Court battle looms, after busway is finished...

Well, at least someone is using the busway - Parkour/Free-running video

Dec 2nd - 'Bunker' Bob Menzies interviewed on 209Radio Drive show

Lit up like a Christmas Tree, but no-one's at home

Bungalow Bill is alive and well

Bunker Bob's little Elves 'too busy' to work over Christmas break

Letter: Dangers of the busway - wet feet and worse

No chance though of getting run over by a bus..

Letter: Passengers still suffering

Labour councillor forgets the facts

Letter: Environmental benefit negated - CO2 emissions mean the "concrete gutter" is not green, it's grey

Letter: No-one held to account - "so many promises made to the public enquiry have been broken"

Coleridge Conservatives - reviewing restating the case for the guided bus

Find foot, aim, fire!

Photo Gallery of the cycleway from cycle perspective

Letter: Well done for speaking out, says Tim Philips

Poll: Are you looking forward to the opening of the guided bus? 81.5% said no.

Video - Busway delays explained starring 'Bunker' Bob (video)

Nov 19th - Delay in other bus changes wins a warm welcome

Nov 17th - Former Cambridge Conservatives spokesman says rail was 'never a viable alternative' and makes "Flat Earth" jibe against Cast.Iron, but Tim Phillips gets the last word

Letter - Ł116m+ price tag for a 'Dumbed down' service

Nov 18th - Where will the bus go from here?

Pictures from The Anonymous Widower blog

Busway pictures from Big Nick

Delay may be delayed by up to 6 months

Nov 17th - Guided bus hit by yet another delay

BBC Cambridgeshire interview with Brian Smith of CCoC - GB is not overbudget and enjoys public support (!)

BBC Cambridgeshire Drivetime Show - Frank from Royston says the GB is a pack of lies

Nov 16th - BBC Cambridgeshire Drivetime Show, Tim Phillips calls for Cllr Pegram to apologise, then resign

Guided bus facing new delay

Now the busway won't open in November, it will be January 2010 (probably) say councillors

'Finishing works'

Nov 16th - Cambs council confirms yet another delay to St Ives-Cambridge guided bus link

Nov 13th - Cambridgeshire County Council wins 'Transport Authority of the Year' award at UK Bus Awards

In our 'you couldn't make it up' category

Nov 13th - Will guided busway be ready in time?

Well that's an easy one. No!

Nov 12th - Another Deadline Missed & concrete blocks at entrances

Nov 6th - Cast.Iron slams system as "Misguided and Bust"

November 09 - Cambridge County Council release 'The Busway' video on YouTube

There should be competition to spot all the dubious 'facts' offered to the viewer..On second thoughts that's just too easy Err, just when did you say it was opening?