Government u-turn on bus lane restrictions

Government u-turn on bus lane restrictions

The National Bus Strategy says bus lanes ‘should be full time’ but new guidance from DfT says they should ‘only operate when it makes sense’   The National Bus Strategy for England declared ‘bus lanes should be full-time’   In the week that marked the third anniversary of the publication...
SPT says franchising is the only game in town

SPT says franchising is the only game in town

A new report by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has concluded that bus franchising is the only option to stem long-term network decline     BY Andrew Garnett Strathclyde could become the first region in Scotland to franchise its bus network after Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) members approved plans...
Poetry in motion - the Paris Metro

Poetry in motion – the Paris Metro

  Andrew Martin’s new book on the Paris Metro led me to reflect on the fascinating confluences and divergences with London     I used to take the view that Paris was an ugly city (quasi motorways alongside the Seine, the dreary Haussmann boulevards, the Eiffel Tower) but with a...
Why Andy Mellors is my low key hero

Why Andy Mellors is my low key hero

  I am not saying that problems don’t exist, but my experiences of Avanti West Coast have been good – and it’s going to get better Andy Mellors   Recently, I’ve heard a lot of folk suggest that the railway is in the worst shape ever. Even those who haven’t...
What is the strategy for transport?

What is the strategy for transport?

  A pragmatic consensus on transport policy has been shattered by the return of ‘war on the motorist’ rhetoric. We must do better   Our current PM has boxed his government into being the motorist’s friend   I have been on a sabbatical for a few years and have been...
Out now: Issue 309 of Passenger Transport

Out now: Issue 309 of Passenger Transport

Issue 309 of Passenger Transport is published on March 8. Contents include:     LEAD STORY Government u-turn on bus lane restrictions The National Bus Strategy says bus lanes ‘should be full time’ but new guidance from DfT says they should ‘only operate when it makes sense’   NEWS EXTRA...
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Passenger aims to solve the bus fares mystery

Passenger aims to solve the bus fares mystery

Technology firm has worked closely with bus operators to launch a new fares finder in its ‘white-label’ mobile app product used by 35 companies   Passenger hosted workshop events with bus operator partners to develop the new service   Bus fare information, or the lack of it, has always been perceived by many within the...
MaaS is the future of ticketing

MaaS is the future of ticketing

More and more places are seeking Mobility as a Service and Conduent Transportation is ready to help     Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is a concept that has been around for years but has so far failed to fulfil its potential. However, Conduent Transportation believes that its time may have now come and that...
Customer first ethos continues

Customer first ethos continues

Ticketer has built a reputation on placing customers at its heart and that continues with Next Gen ETM and Bee Network rollout     Ticketer is well recognised for offering flexible cloud-based and on-bus solutions that aim to keep things simple for operators. It has been a busy few months for the company with the...
‘Tap-in, tap-out’ train travel trial for 2025

‘Tap-in, tap-out’ train travel trial for 2025

Over 90 rail stations in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester will be included in ‘pay as you go’ schemes, moving towards a London-style system   Stations across the West Midlands and selected routes in Greater Manchester are to participate in the trial   Rail users in the West Midlands and Greater Manchester will benefit...
Labour must extend ‘face up’ to HS2 - Steer

Labour must extend ‘face up’ to HS2 – Steer

Government has axed ‘the most critical section of the route’   Concerns raised country will be left with a £67bn white elephant   A key proponent of HS2 says that if Labour forms the next government it must extend the project to Crewe and Manchester or the country will be left with a £67bn white...
Ukrzaliznytsia and its ‘iron people’

Ukrzaliznytsia and its ‘iron people’

On a recent visit to Ukraine I was inspired to meet so many brave, committed and talented people, who believe in the power of rail   This shell-damaged wagon was carrying civilian evacuees   BY David Brown I recently had the honour of visiting Ukraine as part of an international delegation working with the Global...
Building a more diverse team

Building a more diverse team

At First Bus we are helping to futureproof the industry with a diverse apprenticeship programme   Maddi Simmons joined First Bus’s engineering programme after her daily bus commute to and from college sparked an interest in the sector   From the granite streets of Aberdeen right down to the Cornish coast, First Bus is proud...
Why AI isn’t a silver bullet for buses

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...
Let’s have some detail from Labour

Let’s have some detail from Labour

  While Labour’s intention to repeal the minimum service levels legislation is clear, not much else is. We’ve heard little of substance   Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, the duopoly at the top of Labour   I see that Germany has been hit by a wave of strikes by 90,000 transport workers affecting rail, bus...
‘They wouldn’t be seen dead on a bus’

‘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’

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

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...