The County Council has said it will plead guilty to health and safety charges brought following the deaths of three people on its Guided Busway
Cambridgeshire County Council has confirmed that it will plead guilty to charges brought against it in relation to three deaths which occurred on its Guided Busway after the Health and Safety Executive took the County Council to court for health and safety offences.
Eighty-one year old Jennifer Taylor died in 2015 as she was crossing the Busway in the dark at Fen Drayton; an inquest recommended the installation of lighting. In 2018, 50 year old cyclist Stephen Moir died when he collided head-on with a bus in Cambridge, and in 2021 52 year old Kathleen Pits was killed when she was hit by a bus.
On behalf of Cambridgeshire County Council, a statement was issued by the Council’s Chief Executive Stephen Moir. He said: “In May 2023, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced its intention to prosecute Cambridgeshire County Council for historic health and safety offences arising from the operation of the Guided Busway. Legal proceedings against Cambridgeshire County Council formally commenced in May 2024.
“The charges brought against the Council relate to the tragic loss of the lives of Jennifer Taylor, Steven Moir and Kathleen Pitts, along with other incidents where individuals accessing the busway were injured. The County Council, first and most importantly, continues to extend its deepest condolences to the families and friends directly affected by these tragic events. They are at the forefront of our thoughts today.
“In providing the Guided Busway for the people of Cambridgeshire, the County Council has a duty and responsibility to uphold the highest standards of health and safety at work. We fully recognise and accept that during the historic operation of the Guided Busway, when these incidents occurred, that we fell far short of meeting these standards. For that we are truly sorry.
“With that clear understanding and acceptance, we are therefore taking an important and responsible decision, today, to plead guilty to the two offences which the HSE are prosecuting the Council for. In doing so, we fully acknowledge the serious historic failings on the part of the County Council, which we are now addressing.
“The safety of people accessing the Guided Busway is of paramount importance to the County Council and to the bus operators that use our infrastructure. We have ensured and we will continue to ensure that the lessons learned from these historic failures are addressed properly. We will further ensure that the current and future management of the Guided Busway is regularly reviewed, updated and that the necessary assurances are in place to enable us to provide this important, accessible and safe public transport system to the people of Cambridgeshire.
“Although we are issuing this statement today due to the ongoing legal proceedings and whilst we await further decisions from the courts, it would not be appropriate for the County Council to offer any further comment at this time.”
