Cambridgeshire County Council has been fined £6m following three deaths on its guided busway.
Jennifer Taylor, Steve Moir and Kathleen Pitts died after collisions on the busway between 2015 and 2021.
The authority had previously admitted to two charges under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 - these related to the public trying to cross the busway at designated crossings and being struck while moving alongside the busway.
Cambridgeshire was ordered to pay the fine over three years.
In sentencing at Cambridge Crown Court, Judge Mark Bishop criticised the authority for its 'rigid and blinkered response' to the fatalities, as well as numerous near-misses and other incidents.
The council’s chief executive, Dr Stephen Moir, said: 'In providing the Guided Busway, Cambridgeshire County Council has a clear duty and responsibility to uphold the highest standards of health and safety at work.
'As chief executive, since 2022, I fully accept that during the historical operation of the Guided Busway, the Council has fallen far short of meeting these standards. I am not only truly sorry for these failures.This should never have happened.
'More importantly, I’d like to offer my full and unreserved apologies to the families and friends of all those impacted by our actions or lack of action resulting from the failings we have fully accepted in court.'
He added that the council has already taken action to address the historical failings.
'Our safety regime for the busway now includes thorough and frequent inspections, a rolling programme of risk assessments and strengthened incident recording, reporting and investigations. We now have a dedicated busway operations safety team in place, and we have also installed bespoke fencing on the southern section of the busway, reduced speed limits and are reviewing all the signs and lining along the route.'
He added: 'We will continue to work constructively and proactively with the Health and Safety Executive and will also support the development of national busway guidance so that the lessons we have learned here in Cambridgeshire are shared more widely. We have learnt our lessons the hard way and changed our approach for the future.'
Cambridgeshire County Council runs the guided busway, which serves Cambridge, St Ives and Huntingdon.
It opened in 2011 and at 16 miles it is thought to be the world's longest guided busway. For much of the route, it uses a modified bus guided along a track.
