Anglian Water working with bus company to minimise disruption to services during Biggleswade road closure
Anglian Water says it is working with bus company Grant Palmer Ltd to minimise disruption to its Service 74 during a long-running closure of Hitchin Street in Biggleswade.
Hitchin Street is due to be closed between mid-May and November for Anglian Water to complete necessary works, which is set to cause ‘significant disruption’ to Service 74.
The route currently operates six days a week between Biggleswade and Langford, with extended journeys to both Bedford and Hitchin, and is frequently used by students travelling to and from Bedford College.
Grant Palmer Ltd say that the closure of Hitchin Street during the works will require a diversion that will ‘significantly increase journey times’ and render the service ‘unviable’ in its current form.
They are calling on Anglian Water to provide funding to cover the additional operating costs required to maintain the existing timetable during the roadworks period.
Commercial manager at Grant Palmer Ltd Thomas Manship said: “We have worked incredibly hard to develop Route 74 since 2016, extending the service to Hitchin in 2020 and working with Central Bedfordshire Council to further enhance the timetable in 2024.
“We’ve invested in vehicles and a depot in Biggleswade to ensure the service operates reliably and punctually.
“It is frustrating when services are then seriously disrupted by long term road closures and it is essential that utilities and developers take responsibility to ensure bus services keep running.”
In response an Anglian Water spokesperson told the Chronicle: “We are in direct contact with bus operator Grant Palmer Ltd and Central Bedfordshire Council regarding disruption to the bus service 74 during this closure.
“We are considering options to make sure the bus service for the local community is maintained as far as possible.
“We are currently discussing options and are hoping to have a confirmed outcome soon.”