Cambridgeshire Council Warns Drastic Action Needed to Save £1 Tiger Bus Pass

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority's (CPCA) popular Tiger bus pass, which allows people under 25 to travel for £1 per journey and has been used on over one million trips, is at risk of ending unless urgent financial action is taken. The pass was introduced under Mayor Dr. Nik Johnson, and his successor Paul Bristow has pledged to retain it, but funding challenges remain. Maintaining the Tiger pass beyond the end of 2025, especially after the national £3 bus fare cap lifts, could cost the CPCA approximately £473,000 per month or £6.2 million annually, making it financially unsustainable in its current form. Fenland District Council leader Chris Boden has recommended reallocating £1.8 million from the local bus fare cap budget, which ends in December 2025, to extend the Tiger pass until March 2026 while a new funding proposal is formulated. Boden warned that without significant budget adjustments, the Tiger pass would cease, threatening the growth of passenger numbers and continuity of the scheme. The CPCA board has yet to agree on a funding continuation plan, with further discussions scheduled to take place at a transport meeting in late June.