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...
Building a cleaner, fairer, safer future
Net zero must be presented as an opportunity to build a greener, more efficient transport system that drives prosperity and growth The UK is well placed to lead on coach decarbonisation The world is on fire. A record 15 national heat records have been broken so far this year. People are struggling...
Look forwards and make the most of it
The shift towards greater public control of public transport offers opportunities, but strategic thinking and ambition are required Greater Manchester’s Bee Network is the first example of buses outside London being returned to public control The battle of ideas over the best way to provide public transport is effectively over. Even the...
Catching the bus with Claire Walters
It’s ‘Catch the Bus Month’ so I hopped on board Superloop with someone who has been championing bus users for the past 12 years Myself and Claire Walters during our pleasant Superloop journey “The bus should be like a referee – you shouldn’t notice it; everything should go smoothly. It should only...
Large organisations can become agile
Organisations struggle to make decisions, moving slowly and disconnecting from customers – but it doesn’t have to be like this We’re living through a crisis in governance. Our challenges aren’t caused by a lack of technology or innovation. They’re not caused by a lack of great people. They’re not even (primarily) caused by...
Mixed messages on transport policy
It’s not unusual to see contradictory policy positions across government when it comes to transport, but I’d hoped for better The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, seems willing to grab at any private finance that is around for transport projects, even if this runs contrary to government policy on, for example, climate change August...
Transport should be for everyone
It’s ‘Catch the Bus Month’ and we’re asking bus operators to pick up the pace of change in making their services accessible to all Caroline Stickland is the CEO of Transport for All Almost 30 years on from the laws that made buses accessible in the UK, let’s mark ‘Catch the Bus...
10 reasons why I love travelling by bus
September is ‘Catch the Bus Month’ – and I believe that there are many reasons why we all should, from the rational to the romantic Catch the Bus Month: I’m on board! September is here and as the leaves turn brown and gold, the nights draw in and the county cricket season...
25 years in transport – what I’ve learned