Issue 312 of Passenger Transport is published on May 3. Contents include: LEAD STORY Taking control Six metro mayors in England – representing 11.6 million people – were elected last week having pledged to take back control of local bus networks NEWS EXTRA: Metro mayors Metro mayors...
If metro mayors deliver on their manifesto pledges, almost three-quarters of bus journeys in England will be on publicly-controlled bus networks From left: Pete Bond, TfWM director of integrated transport services, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and Cllr Stephen Simpkins, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council and WMCA Board...
Group plots return to High Wycombe 24 years after sale Go-Ahead’s Carousel Buses operation will step in on most of the routes Arriva is proposing to withdraw Go-Ahead looks set to benefit from a rival operator’s retrenchment following the news that Arriva is consulting on proposals to close...
It’s time for bold and fresh thinking about how we design public transport to best serve a changed market in changing times There is nothing ‘off the shelf’ about the interiors of the new Danish IC5 trains A draining Covid epidemic and the ungainly pirouettes of government...
We keep hearing that the railway is short of money, but have we made the most of the commercial opportunities in front of us? Are we making the most of our amazing station infrastructure? I’m getting a little tired of hearing that the UK rail industry has...
There’s nothing new about the concept of avoiding traffic by travelling overhead, but flying taxis could take this to another level What impact will air taxis have? Congestion: here is an issue to unite everyone from the extreme petrol heads through to the greenest environmentalist. Nobody benefits from this, not the motorists...
The Your Bus Journey survey of bus users by Transport Focus provides insights and a league table we should all care about Levels of bus users satisfaction were high in East Yorkshire Who was surprised by the Transport Focus ‘Your Bus Journey’ scores? I certainly wasn’t and felt faintly reassured by the results...
The Grand Paris Express is potentially the most important and transformational urban mobility project underway in Europe The Grand Paris Express transport project I was in Paris, France for the Autonomy Mobility World Expo conference late last month. As an addition to the conference I was able to book a guided visit...
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 of Bus Back Better, its...
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 for a consultation about the...
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 lot of beautiful details. As...
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 been on a train for...
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 catching up on transport policy...
Go-Ahead Women campaign aims to recruit 1,500 new women bus drivers, with 50% goal by 2035 The Go-Ahead Women campaign was launched this week The Go-Ahead Group has launched a campaign this month aimed at revolutionising the traditionally male-dominated landscape of the transport sector. Under the banner of ‘Go-Ahead Women’, the company is...
The Women in Bus and Coach initiative (pictured last year on a visit to parliament) has emerged as a powerful force. Here are seven compelling reasons behind the pressing need for such initiatives BY Louise Cheeseman International Women’s Day is a really great opportunity to showcase the unique culture that women can offer...
The Women in Transport Diversity & Inclusion Bus Group can look back on five years of progress BY Sonya Byers March is a significant month for Women in Transport, especially with International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month. This year marks a special milestone as the Women in Transport Diversity & Inclusion (D&I)...
We’ve come a long way in recent years but there’s still more to do – and it matters, because true diversity brings better everything We’ve got some fantastic women in our business BY Lorna Murphy This International Women’s Day, I’ve been reflecting on how far we’ve come but also how much more there...
Pigs don’t fly but taxis are taking off