Why AI isn’t a silver bullet for buses
The true measure of success of the latest transport technologies lies in the hands of the people who know the industry best Bus systems are influenced by a myriad of real-world factors BY Brian O’Rourke From self-driving cars to artificial intelligence (AI) – we’ve been through the tech hype cycles that were big...
‘They wouldn’t be seen dead on a bus’
There are times in the bus sector when some organisations and individuals appear embarrassed to be associated with bus travel It’s rare to stumble across a business or sector where you get that disconcerting vibe that those at the helm would deep down rather not be doing what they’re doing and would prefer...
Labour – ‘No more tinkering on the edges’
With a general election drawing closer, shadow transport minister Simon Lightwood addressed bus and coach operators in London last week Simon Lightwood at last week’s CPT Conference An incoming Labour government would use simplified and extended franchising powers to grow public transport, and provide the sector with greater certainty. That was the message...
Bus Partnership Fund pause disappoints CPT
Scottish Government pledged £500m – but has spent only £26.9m As recently as last October, Scotland’s minister for transport, Fiona Hyslop, told Passenger Transport that the Bus Partnership Fund was “a key area of investment” Formally launched in November 2020, Scotland’s Bus Partnership Fund was hailed as a “landmark long-term capital investment of...
Lothian – municipal and entrepreneurial
Edinburgh is a city where every kind of person uses the bus and where everyone owns their local bus company, Lothian Buses An initial fleet of 50 new Volvo BZL electric double deck buses will enter service in the spring It’s good to be in the warmth of the great value Lothian...
Walking and public transport are allies
Walking is good for our mind and body, our environment and public transport. Hana Sutch of Go Jauntly wants to make it easy Hana Sutch set up Go Jauntly in 2018 I’ll be honest, before the pandemic I had zero interest in walking for fun. But then, apart from model railways and...
Director of Transport – Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Director of Transport Employer: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority Salary: £115,281 to £137,590 Location: No 1 Mann Island, Liverpool Contract: Permanent Working Pattern: Full Time Hours: 35 hours per week. DBS Check: No Closing Date: 29/01/2024 at 12:00 Reference: CDD/24/266985 We are looking for an exceptional transport professional with commercial and technical...
Stagecoach pledges new ways of working
Claire Miles has indicated a new approach to bus franchising and wants to turn the page on ‘cultural and political baggage’ of Souter years Claire Miles is keen to cast aside Stagecoach’s “cultural and political baggage” The recently appointed chief executive of Stagecoach has expressed regret over the group’s confrontational approach to bus...
First plans Sheffield open access service
New service aims to woo motorists to rail with faster journeys FirstGroup said the venture would form part of its Hull Trains open access business FirstGroup has revealed it has submitted an application to launch a new, faster open access rail service between London and Sheffield via the East Coast Main Line. It...
Five brakes on rail’s growth potential
The latest ORR figures on rail usage are surprisingly good because the railway suffers from brakes on progress. Here are five of them Rail usage is up 14% year-on-year Industry, politicians, and civil servants will doubtless be taking some quiet satisfaction from the upward trend in rail usage reported by the regulator,...
My hopes and fears for the New Year
Happy New Year to you all. To ring in the new dawn, here are some of the things I hope to see or fear we will see in 2024 Bring back NRPS! Remember the National Rail Passenger Satisfaction Survey (NRPS)? It was a very simple, quarterly customer survey with a decent sample size....
Let’s have some detail from Labour