Putting customers front and centre
Those taking decisions should always put themselves in the shoes of the passenger and ask whether what they will think reasonable Average bus speeds in central London are now down to 7.4mph (picture: Shutterstock) It was interesting to see the latest figures for bus passenger numbers (PT351). Most striking was the fact...
Utrecht’s multi-modal showcase
Last month’s POLIS mobility conference in the Netherlands put ‘Healthy Urban Living’ in the spotlight, highlighting best practice Utrecht’s central station This year’s POLIS mobility conference was hosted by the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands on November 26 and 27. Polis, based in Brussels, is composed of cities and regions, as...
Sales is a lonely and under-valued role
It’s not easy being a salesperson. The pressure to deliver and the constant rejection requires resilience. Here’s my survival guide Spare a thought for a few commercial folk in transport right now, as Christmas beckons and with it the bearer of good or bad tidings. At the time of writing, the outcome of...
Transport’s role in the bodge-it budget
After weeks of leaks, the chancellor revealed her budget last month. There was good news for transport, but questions remain Chancellor Rachel Reeves on budget day last month (picture: Simon Dawson / No10 Downing Street) You can sometimes come across situations which, if written into a situation comedy sketch for TV, would...
A landmark year for local transport
The government has started to deliver the tools we have asked for: meaningful devolved control and long-term funding certainty Liverpool City Region has a multi-modal vision For years, the transport sector has presented its wish list to successive governments with the perennial optimism of a true believer. At the top were three simple...
Our people-powered Great Bus Comeback
After years of uncertainty, the bus sector is regaining momentum. Visionary leaders and diverse teams are needed to take it forward Stagecoach CEO Claire Miles brings a broad commercial perspective Across the UK, buses are making a remarkable comeback. Once dismissed as the “poor relative” of public transport, they are now reclaiming their...
Should buses be free – or worth paying for?
In his campaign to become mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani promised free buses. Can – and should – it be done? Zohran Mamdani’s offer to New Yorkers A new day has dawned in New York City. So says Zohran Mamdani, the newly minted mayor-elect who will take office on New...
Building Britain’s best bus partnership
Yes, Portsmouth received a big sum of money – but its industry-leading success stems from its collaborative, one-team approach Winners at the UK Bus Awards BY Paul Walker, Portsmouth City Council In a recent LinkedIn comment about an article highlighting the success of the Portsmouth Buses programme, someone remarked, and not for the first...
A career focused on unlocking growth
Over more than two decades with Stagecoach and then Go-Ahead, Rupert Cox has been obsessed with understanding local markets In an era of transport showboating fancy-dans, dressing themselves up in their own over-inflated, celebrity-style, personal brands, those who get on with the job, low-key style, sticking around and grafting hard on behalf of...
Which direction will GBR take us?
Great British Railways is emerging – but details are still in short supply. Despite some of my misgivings, I’m cautiously optimistic Last week’s heinous stabbing incident on the LNER train from Doncaster to London and the derailment at Shap on the Avanti service two days later showcased, in adversity, the very best of...
The right way to take back control
Bus networks across the country will transition to public control over the coming years. What’s the best way to make that journey? Greater Manchester’s Bee Network has proved the doubters wrong on every point It was tough getting the powers to franchise. Well worth the struggle though. The success of public control...
Let’s get on and fix rail replacement