Council to plead guilty over Busway deaths

Cambridgeshire County Council is to plead guilty to charges relating to deaths on the county’s Guided Busway.

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 the Council formally commenced in May 2024.

The charges brought against the Council relate to the deaths of Jennifer Taylor, Steven Moir and Kathleen Pitts, along with other incidents where individuals accessing the busway were injured.

A statement issued by the Council’s Chief Executive, Dr Stephen Moir, said: “The County Council, first and most importantly, continues to extend its deepest condolences to the families and friends directly affected by these tragic events.”

“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” – Cambridgeshire Council’s Chief Executive, Dr Stephen Moir

The statement went on to say the County Council has a ‘duty and responsibility to uphold the highest standards of health and safety at work’. It said: “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.”

The statement continued: “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 Council highlighted that the safety of people accessing the Guided Busway is of ‘paramount importance’ to it and that it will ensure the lessons learned from these historic failures are properly addressed.