Welcome to The ALBUM Report 2024, a publication from Passenger Transport devoted to Britain’s independent and municipal bus companies. Returning for an eighth year, this year’s report also incorporates the Conference Workbook for the ALBUM Conference 2024, hosted by Warrington’s Own Buses at Carden Park Hotel on April 23-24. We...
Issue 311 of Passenger Transport is published on April 19. Contents include: LEAD STORY Labour vows to fast-track bus franchising Party says that its plan will allow 250 million more bus passenger journeys a year, but ‘it will require no additional central government spending’ NEWS ‘Franchise your...
Party says that its plan will allow 250 million more bus passenger journeys a year, but ‘it will require no additional central government spending’ Labour launched its plans in the West Midlands. Left to right: Angela Rayner, Richard Parker and Louise Haigh Labour has promised to help local...
Polls suggest Labour’s Richard Parker will win mayoral election Labour’s launch event was hosted by National Express West Midlands Labour’s candidate in next month’s West Midlands mayoral election has pledged to bring bus services back under public control if he wins power on May 2. The Labour Party...
Order for 10 new trains could solve Alstom order desert Harper (right) met Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge this week Rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has confirmed that it is in “intense discussions” with transport secretary Mark Harper about the future of its Derby plant and a potential order for...
You won’t persuade me to join you on a camping holiday, but many others enjoy it – and bus companies should make a pitch for them A West Coast Motors bus photographed by the editor on a detour into Port Ban Holiday Park, Argyll and Bute I was...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Let’s have some detail from Labour