FOUR bus companies are close to agreement to running over the guideway – Stagecoach, Huntingdon & District, Whippet and Suffolk-based Burtons, which now runs the Addenbrooke s shuttle in Cambridge. Passengers from St Ives eastwards are promised six buses

FOUR bus companies are close to agreement to running over the guideway - Stagecoach, Huntingdon & District, Whippet and Suffolk-based Burtons, which now runs the Addenbrooke's shuttle in Cambridge.

Passengers from St Ives eastwards are promised six buses an hour in each direction, initially for five years, more in the morning and evening peaks. The guideway has capacity for up to 24 buses an hour, the target for 2016.

The loser in all this is Fenstanton, which currently has five buses an hour in each direction between Huntingdon or St Ives and Cambridge and will be bypassed by the guideway.

Both current operators, Huntingdon & District and Whippet, have promised the county council they will continue at least hourly services.

CCC is still working on the vehicle specification, but says all vehicles will be new low-emission buses complying with disability regulations. "High quality" is promised, but not specified. Air conditioning and tables used to be part of the quality spec but have not been mentioned recently.