Concerns mount over growing driver shortage
The bus industry is short of 4,000 drivers and there are fears this could do untold damage to the future commercial viability of the sector The Confederation of Passenger Transport estimates there is a national shortage of 4,000 bus drivers BY ANDREW GARNETT There are deepening concerns in the bus industry about the...
NEG/Stagecoach merger talks: The end of an era
Stagecoach and National Express are in merger talks. The new combined group would operate one third of Britain’s buses outside of London Stagecoach is synonymous with Britain’s privatised public transport sector. But with that industry now evolving into one where the public sector will play a much greater role, the group looks set...
‘Operators should not rush back to normal’
New research by Transport Focus concludes that operators need to keep up additional Covid-19 measures and communications to reassure passengers Wearing a face mask is the key safety measure for more nervous passengers Although restrictions have eased and passenger volumes continue to recover, public transport operators have been warned not to “rush back...
‘Governments need to get real’ – Stagecoach
Launching group’s new sustainability strategy, boss Martin Griffiths called for ‘radical behaviour change and incentives to reward the right choices’ Martin Griffiths: We need to be more honest about the scale of the challenge Stagecoach has issued a blunt warning to governments to turn warm words on greener travel into practical actions that...
Railway urged to share data on Covid risks
London TravelWatch wants RSSB to publish data that predicts potential deaths from Covid caught on trains, but safety body insists that ‘risk is low’ London TravelWatch is urging the rail industry to release its data on the risks of catching Covid on trains. The watchdog says it is “irresponsible” to launch a campaign...
Rising confidence for patronage recovery
Rail and bus operators have expressed a growing confidence for the future of the sector as rail minister says he believes passenger numbers will rebound LNER has seen patronage bounce back to 94% over the last three weeks There is a growing sense of optimism across the public transport sector following the easing...
Public transport sector braced for ‘pingdemic’
Hull-based East Yorkshire was already seeing up to eight bus drivers a day ‘pinged’ by the NHS Test and Trace App ahead of ‘Freedom Day’ on July 19 Bus and train operators across the country are bracing themselves for the impact of the ‘pingdemic’ as coronavirus cases soar and their staff are ‘pinged’...
Go-Ahead names new group chief executive
Christian Schreyer will take the helm on November 5 Christian Schreyer, 53, a German national, has been working for Transdev Go-Ahead Group has this morning announced the appointment of Christian Schreyer as group chief executive with effect from the conclusion of the group’s Annual General Meeting on November 5. He will join the...
Bus operators make most of ‘Freedom Day’
National Express West Midlands, Go North West and Brighton & Hove are among those seeking to entice users back with offers and promotions Left to right: West Midlands mayor Andy Street; NXWM master driver Rekha Sehdeva; NXWM boss David Bradford Bus operators in England sought to capitalise on the removal of remaining Covid...
‘Face mask confusion will discourage travel’
CPT warns that ‘mixed messaging’ will stall the recovery as polls suggest that public want face coverings to remain mandatory on public transport Polls show support for face masks The ability of public transport to play a full role in the country’s recovery from the pandemic is being put at risk by the...
Brown: ‘Embrace it, be collegiate, be positive’
Go-Ahead Group chief executive David Brown urges audience of young bus managers to use the bus strategy as an opportunity for positive change David Brown will retire as Go-Ahead Group chief executive at the end of this year after more than 10 years in the role Go-Ahead Group boss David Brown has urged...
£226m to aid recovery of England’s buses
‘Final’ tranche of emergency funding for bus operators in England will offer greater flexibility to adapt services to meet changing travel patterns Baroness Vere: ‘Buses are the lifeblood of our communities’ England’s bus operators will receive £226.5m of government funding to support their recovery as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, transport minister Baroness Vere...
