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Do we have our fingers on the pulse?

Do we have our fingers on the pulse?

  How well does public transport understand its existing and potential customers, and the societal trends that influence them?   There has been a greater post-Covid recovery in women travelling by bus than men   “Time is the most precious resource any of us has,” Marc Winsland remarked in his excellent article in the last...
Bee Network offers blueprint for Britain

Bee Network offers blueprint for Britain

  As I bid farewell to the Bee Network and its striking yellow buses, I do so with immense pride. It’s a model that others can follow   The Bee Network   Bus franchising is a transformative approach to public transport management, granting local authorities the ability to regulate service quality, fares, and network integration....
Putting rail’s jigsaw puzzle together

Putting rail’s jigsaw puzzle together

  We might not have all the pieces, but we have enough to make a very good start. Let’s begin transforming the UK rail industry   If you’re the sort of person who plunges into a jigsaw puzzle without consulting the picture on the box first, you’ll know how hard it can be. You tip...
The missing buses of Britain

The missing buses of Britain

  Passenger numbers have returned faster than bus services in the period since Covid. Are bus operators getting the balance right?   Our industry has been put through the wringer once or twice in the AD era.   2025 is my 10th year working in the bus industry. It also marks five years since the...
From Istanbul to London by train

From Istanbul to London by train

  I experienced trains, trams and trolleybuses on a recent journey across Europe – and spied some interesting contrasts with Britain   A tram in Budapest   I have just completed my longest train journey ever, and no, it wasn’t one marred by rail replacement buses, driver shortages and signal failures on the West Coast...
Bus franchising is  not a silver bullet

Bus franchising is not a silver bullet

We share the Welsh Government’s goals for buses – but to achieve those goals, reform must build on what already works   Buses are the most used and most accessible form of public transport in Wales   By Martin Gibbon Bus franchising has a part to play in delivering service improvements across South Wales, but...
Breathing new life into redundant land

Breathing new life into redundant land

  Thriving new community spaces have been created from the redundant former public transport estate, and more can follow   Tilburg in the Netherlands was one of the country’s rail manufacturing centres   Transport reconfigures the landscape time and again with each fresh wave of technological change. The coming of canals, railways, motorways, airports and...
Uber is here to stay  - can we live with it?

Uber is here to stay – can we live with it?

  There’s no doubt that the convenience of Uber has eroded bus travel to some degree – but how should the sector respond to that?   Uber has become the elephant in the room (Photo: Shutterstock)   Last week, I eavesdropped on some bus industry bods lamenting declining patronage levels on London buses and the...
Looking after the ‘stakeholders’

Looking after the ‘stakeholders’

  The value of good stakeholder relations can’t be underestimated. Who should do it, what should it involve and who does it well?   Sometimes, the term ‘stakeholder’ gets used in a very depersonalised, almost token manner in business   I do titter when I listen to business mumbo-jumbo – ‘drill down’, ‘helicopter vision’, ‘pain...
Keep an open mind about open access

Keep an open mind about open access

  Open access rail services have demonstrated that they can grow the market for rail without requiring subsidy. What’s not to like?   Lumo’s open access services begun in October 2021   It was less than a month ago that Rail Partners shut up shop, but I for one am already feeling their loss. The...
Culture: the missing piece in rail reform

Culture: the missing piece in rail reform

  The establishment of Great British Railways provides a unique opportunity to reshape and, in certain areas, reset the rail industry   We are at a pivotal moment for the UK rail industry. With the creation of Great British Railways (GBR) and the imminent renationalisation of passenger services, the sector has an opportunity to set...
Make a great scenic bus journey soon!

Make a great scenic bus journey soon!

  If you believe in buses don’t just talk the talk, walk the walk by taking yourself and others on one of many hidden gems out there   East Yorkshire’s excellent Beachcomer   ‘Use it or lose it’ is a famous but wise old cliché often used among folk to cajole them into supporting businesses...