Project U, a campaign to re-route the University-sponsored ‘U Bus’ to stop at Homerton and Girton, launched an open letter on Saturday (04/06) calling for student support for their lobbying of the University’s Planning and Resource Committee (PRC).

The letter, which has accrued 1,145 signatures (as of 09/06), has been released ahead of a meeting with the committee in June, for which the campaign “have waited nearly six months”. The PRC will decide on the contract for the University bus in October, so Project U say that this is their “one shot” to have an impact.

Currently, students from Girton and Homerton who cannot cycle face long walks into town and to lecture sites, and disabled or injured students say they feel isolated by the inaccessibility. The campaign says several students move colleges every year as a result of poor transport links.

Project U is the third in a series of campaigns since 2016, when the U Bus was re-routed and stopped servicing Homerton and the Faculty of Education. The most recent campaign hit a wall in 2020, when proposed changes were put on hold as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Project U said that in 2020, students were “promised a number of interim measures to alleviate the issues students face” but that none of these were ever implemented.

The letter continues: “We believe the obligation the University has to ensure equality of opportunity for disabled students is not being met…current conversations with the transport department have presented the addition of Girton College to the U Bus route as a costly ‘addition’... we see it as a fundamental, necessary requirement for the University to align itself with its commitments to inclusion, expansion and equality. After all, what is the Universal bus if not universal?”

Project U lead and Girton JCR President Harry Goolnik said: “We’ve been shouting for the U Bus as a College for many years, but this is the closest we’ve ever got and I can see some light at the end of the tunnel. Whilst any contract changes won’t be implemented until after I’ve left Cambridge, I hope the success we’ve had shows that, with enough shouting, students can provoke change at a University-wide level.”

A spokesperson for Girton told Varsity: “The whole of Girton College passionately supports the U Bus campaign as a means of increasing travel options for more of our students with disabilities, connecting our sites at Girton and Eddington and giving a large number of staff and Fellows working at the College, the option to travel by public transport.”

The letter follows the campaign’s endorsement by Cambridge SU, which was given in a unanimous vote at its Student Council in February of this year, following their support for the previous campaign.

When approached for comment, a University spokesperson told Varsity that the Planning and Resources Committee “recognises the frustrations of students not currently served by the Universal bus” and that “as part of the University’s work to meet the access requirements of all students” they are “exploring a number of options.”

They said that the PRC plan to make a decision on the new Universal bus contract during Michaelmas Term later this year, “with the procurement process including an option to provide route extensions to serve other locations such as Girton.”

They explained that as an interim measure, the Estates Division launched a “Demand Responsive Transport trial” in April, which “allows students and staff at Homerton and the Faculty of Education to book a shared taxi or minibus to and from destinations served by the Universal bus - during its normal operating hours - paying a fee equivalent to the bus fare.” They said that the scheme will “help measure demand”, and that it is hoped that “it could be rolled out more widely if it proves successful.”

They went on: “The Committee looks forward to continuing its working relationship with student representatives on this issue, and is grateful for their perspective. One of the University’s Transport Managers has met with students at Girton College to discuss their concerns, and has agreed to look into suggestions they have made to improve transport options for Girton students.”

Homerton College has been contacted for comment.

This article has been updated to include comment from a University spokesperson and to reflect an increase in signatures on Project U's open letter.