What’s the future for ticket offices?
My former boss, ‘Sir’ Michael Holden, recently caused a stir by suggesting they could be closed. A rethink is certainly required Ticket offices aren’t always as bright and appealing as this one That Workplace Reform discussion, which I wrote in the last issue won’t go away. My first-rate, former gaffer, Michael Holden...
Another nudge in the wrong direction
By helping motorists and ignoring public transport users, the chancellor continued a long tradition in his Spring Statement Chancellor Rishi Sunak was feeling so generous towards motorists that he even had himself photographed filling up the Kia car of a Sainsbury’s employee The highlight of the recent Spring Statement was the 5p...
Workplace Reform – can we really do it?
The railway is talking about Workplace Reform, the post-Covid world demands it. But what will it look like and will it happen? The railway needs the right people in the right place at the right time ‘Workplace Reform’ are the two words that are on the lips of every rail industry bigwig...
Bus safety shouldn’t be an afterthought
England’s National Bus Strategy dragged poor practice into the spotlight but left the bus safety regime to stagnate in the margins Edinburgh is the only city I can think of, other than London, where the bus feels like a mass transit system used by all The National Bus Strategy for England has...
Is it still possible to ‘bus back better’?
Matt Gamble and Neil Davies of Atkins consider how England can deliver BSIPs, Enhanced Partnerships and ZEBRAs The welcome announcement of an extension of the Bus Recovery Grant buys some much-needed breathing space for buses Since the original commitments and ambitions outlined in the Department for Transport’s Bus Back Better strategy, published in...
Four ways to accelerate the diversity agenda
Just 20% of the UK’s transport and logistics workforce is female. Here’s a plan for making the sector more appealing to women Govia Thameslink Railway reports it has experienced an influx of female apprentices BY Krishna Desai, Senior Global Marketing Manager at Cubic Transportation Systems Currently, the UK transport system isn’t fully equal...
My 10-point plan for boosting morale
In my last column I explained how morale among public transport employees has hit rock bottom. Here’s what we need to do to fix it The industry has lost the plot when it comes to motivating those on the frontline and junior managers Yikes! My last article about the rock bottom morale...
Bus cuts close doors onto the world
As the funding cliff-edge approaches, we should consider the impact the bus service cuts have on those who depend on them The young and the elderly have the highest propensity to use bus, as do people in the lowest income quintile “It’s like a forgotten world. It makes you feel depressed… we’ve...
Has morale finally hit rock bottom?
It’s an oft-said phrase in public transport over the years, but I fear we may have reached a nadir. The sector can and must respond It’s noticeable, in some cases, how despairing some staff are When you trawl social media, there’s no shortage of folk masquerading as experts in mental health, spouting...
Is this ‘levelling up’, or falling flat?
The levelling up white paper seeks London-style transport for all, but service cuts are now looming and we risk moving backwards Prime minister Boris Johnson and ‘levelling up secretary’ Michael Gove launched the white paper last week with a visit to Blackpool Transport Is that it? That was the pithy and somewhat...
The simple pleasures of a journey by bus
A recent trip led me to reflect on one of the key selling points of bus travel – interactions with people and the passing streetscape We need to enthuse young people about bus travel benefits On Tuesday, I had a meeting with probably the most senior person I ever met. It was...
Don’t neglect your older customers