St Ives-Cambridge guided bus - where are the fences, lights and signals?

HAVING been one of the first objectors at the public inquiry, I shall be taking up Roy Pegram s suggestion (Letters, October 14) to have a go on the guided bus whenever it starts. But I do have concerns. Why is there generally no fencing between guideway

HAVING been one of the first objectors at the public inquiry, I shall be taking up Roy Pegram's suggestion (Letters, October 14) to have a go on the guided bus whenever it starts. But I do have concerns.

Why is there generally no fencing between guideway and service track? I would have thought that this would be an essential bit of kit for walkers, horse-riders and cyclists, never mind those bent on mischief or daredevil stunts.

Why is there no lighting except at the intersections and stops? The Adelaide O-Bahn is lit throughout for safety reasons after dark, even in rural areas (and fogs are not unknown in the watery bits of the fen flatlands here).

Why is there no signalling? When one of the parallel guideways is out of commission for any reason, a signalling system would enable 'tidal flow' operation, rather than complete closure. Signalling would also reduce the risk of collision during bad weather and dark evenings after vehicle breakdown or out-of-course running.

I get the feeling that Cllr Pegram is not being entirely frank. If you've spent �150 million so far, you would expect basic things like fences, lighting or signals to come as standard.

I'm sure the guided bus will create a lot of interest but, since it peters out at the stretch where the jams can be relied upon, it's a wonder they didn't design it better in the first place.

BRYNLEY HEAVEN

Aslackby

Lincolnshire