Expert panel will help UK bus manufacturers
Amid growing concerns for British bus builders, government hails £500m order for Wrightbus and announces UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel Transport secretary Louise Haigh Amid mounting political pressure to adopt a ‘Buy British’ rule in bus procurement, the government has announced a £500m electric bus order for Northern Ireland-based Wrightbus and plans to...
Summit puts spotlight on women in bus sector
Women in Bus and Coach event champions diversity The Women in Bus and Coach Summit The second annual Women in Bus and Coach Summit was held in Manchester on October 8, bringing together industry leaders, stakeholders, frontline operators and advocates to celebrate the remarkable contributions of women across the bus, coach and community...
Big challenges, tight budgets
The European Mobility Expo revealed that our continental neighbours face similar challenges Fiona Guthrie (left) and fellow Talent in Mobility winners If you like trams you’ll LOVE Strasbourg. With a population of 860,000 across the conurbation, France’s eighth largest city is criss-crossed by multiple light rail and BRT lines. Visitors from UK cities...
25 years in transport – what I’ve learned
I have attempted to collate everything I’ve seen, learned, read or heard during my time in the transport sector into 10 thoughts The 25th anniversary of my starting to work in and around transport passed me by earlier this year. I joined the Central Rail Users Consultative Committee (not a snappy title, I...
Halt ‘nonsensical’ road projects to save £10.5bn
Campaign for Better Transport urges transport secretary to divert funding to public transport as CPT calls for ‘immediate decision’ on £2 bus fare cap Campaign for Better Transport has called for “large and unnecessary” road projects like the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing to be cancelled Ahead of this month’s budget, Campaign for Better...
Calls to ‘Buy British’ increase at conference
A clear theme from the Labour Party conference was the growing demand for British bus manufacturers to be prioritised in public procurement Alexander Dennis, one of the UK’s largest bus producers, recently announced a consultation that could threaten 160 jobs in Scotland By Andrew Garnett Political pressure is mounting to adopt a ‘Buy...
Rail needs a reset – not just another sale
The transport secretary has announced a ‘Rail Sale’ for early 2025. We need to be more radical in reducing costs and raising revenue Marketing from train operator Greater Anglia during this year’s ‘Great British Rail Sale’ In announcing the trajectory towards rail renationalisation on September 3, one footnote towards the end of...
There’s a buzz around franchising
The new government is pushing ahead with a bus franchising revolution, but there are potential pitfalls that must be avoided Franchising has already arrived in Greater Manchester There’s a buzz around buses right now, and it is all about franchising. We’ve seen the first application of the franchising legislation used in Greater...
Buses need more attention to detail
Improving bus services requires more than a fare cap or a change of ownership – it’s all also about shelters, timetables and ticketing The Azores were beautiful – but the bus service was confusing There is no doubt that the almost universal £2 bus fare has been a great success in England...
The legacy of the pandemic
Matthew Niblett and Sarah Kendall on how Covid accelerated changes in travel behaviour The threat of another pandemic has not disappeared and it is only a matter of time before we could face another global health crisis BY Matthew Niblett and Sarah Kendall Some four and half years have passed since the world...
‘Uneven playing field’ puts ADL jobs at risk
Bus manufacturer begins consultation on Scottish bus manufacturing jobs and accuses various government policies of favouring lower-cost imports ADL claimed it had invested significantly in its UK facilities Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited has announced a consultation process that could put 160 jobs at risk in Scotland, citing concerns over how government zero-emission...
The railway’s lost sense of community