Keith Williams (and transport secretary Grant Shapps published their long awaited rail White Paper last week – but will it stand the test of time? Keith Williams (left) and Grant Shapps It was more than two and a half years ago that former British Airways CEO Keith Williams was signed up to chair...
The government has committed to spend an additional £3bn on buses over three years – Baroness Vere says it’s too early to say what happens after that Baroness Vere The government is not ready to commit to additional funding for local bus services in England beyond its existing commitment to invest £3bn over...
There is much to like about the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail – but this document also contains a number of contradictions Back to the future: Transport secretary Grant Schapps launched Plan for Rail at the National Rail Museum in York It was not quite an out-of-body experience when I found myself dreamily...
Plan for Rail has much to admire, but I worry about whether the structure will drive long term customer-centric innovation The ability to ‘think different’ is at the core of Apple’s ideology. Can the same be said of GBR? The White Paper skewers the existing structure with impeccable accuracy and defines customer...
Broad coalition urges Boris Johnson to help high streets and avoid gridlock by restoring confidence in public transport Clean, safe and ready to go With lockdown restrictions continuing to ease prime minister Boris Johnson has been urged to send a “loud and clear” message of support for public transport. An unprecedented coalition of...
‘Stay at home’ order was a massive experiment on what happens to buses in free-flowing traffic Data specialist CitySwift claims that its ‘bus data engine’ can provide evidence-based insights that will help local authorities and bus operators identify the best locations for bus priority measures. The government’s National Bus Strategy for England says...
As the pandemic recedes and recovery begins, public transport will come under pressure to survive without emergency support The decision of Andy Burnham (front centre) to go all out for franchising has cut through perhaps more than any other single non-London mayoral initiative has ever done In some ways getting the funding...
The national rail industry is facing a daunting task to stabilise its position in the transport market and its relevance to stakeholders How long will it be before stations like Kings Cross see passenger numbers reach pre-pandemic levels? The last 12 months have been a time of unparalleled change and disruption for...
Local authorities must produce ‘ambitious’ Bus Service Improvement Plans or ‘we will go back to them and say it is not good enough’, minister warns Baroness Vere (centre) pointed out that extra funding was available for “those that I call my recalcitrant local authorities” Local transport authorities in England have been warned not...
Research by Edinburgh Napier University suggests pandemic will deter public from using buses and trains, hindering key government objectives 36% anticipated using buses less and 34% using trains less The Covid-19 pandemic may have long-term repercussions for the use of public transport in Scotland, a new study by Edinburgh Napier University suggests. A...
The government says it is serious about building back greener, and I believe them, but they need to start joining up the dots Police Officer: Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention? Sherlock Holmes: To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time. Police...
Eleventh-hour orders with ULEBS funding have secured new electric buses for municipal fleets in Cardiff and Newport. Rhodri Clark reports The 36 Yutong vehicles will account for 24% of the municipal operator’s fleet Cardiff Bus has placed what it believes is the largest single order for electric buses outside London, enabling it to...
Great destination – but can we get there?