New earlier and later bus services have been established in Cambridge to ensure that employees of John Lewis and other Grand Arcade stores can get to work and back home on time.
Stagecoach East was contacted by representatives from John Lewis and the management team from the Grand Arcade, on behalf of all retailers in the Grand Arcade, because they wanted to see improved Park & Ride trips, on Sundays and Bank Holidays, to line up with shift start and end times. The region’s largest bus operator was happy to introduce earlier journeys on a Sunday morning on Trumpington Park & Ride services to accommodate Grand Arcade shift times.
The extra services now run at 8:30am and 8:45am on Sunday mornings from Trumpington Park & Ride to the City Centre, and at 6:45pm from the City Centre back to Trumpington Park & Ride.
David Boden, Business Development Director of Stagecoach East, said: “Buses in Cambridge provide a crucial network, allowing local residents to get to work in what is one of the most dynamic cities in the world, which attracts people to shop and to work from all around our region. So, as part of that, it is essential that we are running services where and when people actually want to travel.
“Once we had understood the need for the earlier and later services, it was clearly vital that we should fulfil that need. Part of our way of being is that we want to bring communities together, so this is a wonderful opportunity to do just that.”
Martin Macwhinnie, Centre Manager of the Grand Arcade, said: “We had been approached by a number of stores, especially those with staff coming from the south, about the start and finish times on the Park & Ride. We were pleased to discuss this with Stagecoach and that they have agreed to make these changes. This extension of the services will be really welcomed by the retailer teams.”
