County council hit with £6m fine over busway deaths

Cambridgeshire County Council has been fined £6 million after pleading guilty to serious safety failings on its guided busway that led to three deaths and multiple injuries.

Three people died after being hit by buses on the network between 2015 and 2021, with two others being struck by buses in that time.

The Cambridgeshire Guided Busway began operation in 2011 and sees buses run along a purpose built tack between Cambridge, Huntingdon and St Ives.

The first death on the route took place in 2015 after Jennifer Taylor, 81, was struck by a bus at night.

Three years later Steve Moir, 50, was killed after his bike hit a kerb, causing him to fall into the path of an oncoming bus.

Kathleen Pitts, 52, lost her life in October 2021. Two young people also suffered serious injuries in separate incidents.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which carried out the prosecution, claimed that incidents continued to happen despite regular enforcement action from the regulator.

Despite the first fatality in 2015, the council did not conduct its first risk assessment until August 2016, the HSE said.

A HSE investigation also found that basic safety measures were missing across the busway including lighting of some crossing points, appropriate speed limits for buses, sufficient measures to separate pedestrians and other users including cyclists from passing buses, and adequate signage warning of dangers.

The local authority pleaded guilty to two offences under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The charges related to failing to protect the public both at crossing points and while travelling alongside the busway.

At Cambridge Crown Court on 16 April 2025 the council was ordered to pay a fine of £6 million plus £292,460 in costs.

In response to the sentencing on Wednesday, the council’s Chief Executive, Dr Stephen Moir, said:  “As Chief Executive, since 2022, I fully accept that during the historical operation of the Guided Busway, the council has fallen far short of meeting these standards.

“I am not only truly sorry for these failures, but I am also deeply disappointed that the council has found itself in this position. This should never have happened."

He later added: "The council, under my leadership, is committed to ensuring the safe operation of the Guided Busway and we have already taken action to address the historical failings as well as ensuring risks are robustly managed in the future."

He said the council's safety regime for the route now includes thorough and frequent inspections, a rolling programme of risk assessments and strengthened incident recording, reporting and investigations.

There is also a dedicated busways operations safety team in place at the council.

Adam Carey