News
A world of opportunity

A world of opportunity

Ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, the passenger transport sector is highlighting what it offers   Apprentices at First Bus   Employers in the passenger transport sector have been using National Apprenticeship Week (February 10-16) to highlight the importance of apprenticeships to their businesses and their work to support them. To mark National ApprenticeshipWeek, this edition...
Great British Railways to unite TOC retailing

Great British Railways to unite TOC retailing

Once GBR is established by legislation, individual train operator websites will be replaced, but the private sector ‘will continue to play a key role’   Government will rollout a single online retail platform for rail ticketing   Individual train operator websites across England, Scotland and Wales will be replaced by a single online retail platform...
Wrightbus reports a strong start to 2025

Wrightbus reports a strong start to 2025

Ballymena-based firm delivers 200 buses in first month of 2025   1,200 buses expected to leave production lines this year   Wrightbus, the Ballymena-based bus manufacturer, has announced its strongest start to a year, with nearly 200 buses entering service across the UK and Europe in January alone. The company expects 2025 to be a...
South Yorkshire eyes modal shift measures

South Yorkshire eyes modal shift measures

CPT welcomes recognition of need to change travel habits   Route 120 bus in Sheffield   South Yorkshire is considering bold measures to encourage motorists out of their cars and onto public transport.  Road user charging, workplace parking levies and reallocating road space away from private cars to buses are among the ideas put forward...
‘Blazing a trail for the future of bus services’

‘Blazing a trail for the future of bus services’

As the snow fell on January 5, the third and final tranche of Greater Manchester’s buses joined the publicly-controlled Bee Network. A landmark moment for buses in the region, and beyond     Following a phased approach, all bus services in Greater Manchester – totalling 577 routes, 1,600 buses and accounting for more than 160...
Concerns raised over impact of open access

Concerns raised over impact of open access

Heidi Alexander suggests operators are not paying their way   Alexander: ‘Open access can create pressure on the network’   Rail Partners has responded to a letter from transport secretary Heidi Alexander urging the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) to adopt stricter criteria for approving new open access rail applications. Alexander’s letter to ORR...
West Midlands lifts the lid on franchising plans

West Midlands lifts the lid on franchising plans

Consultation is the first step that could see the first bus services in the West Midlands under public control by 2027. Andrew Garnett reports   Richard Parker launched the consultation in Coventry   West Midlands mayor Richard Parker has launched a consultation on plans to franchise the region’s bus network. The consultation will remain open...
Welsh SMEs will have post-franchising role

Welsh SMEs will have post-franchising role

Transport for Wales has been instructed to develop an approach that attracts a range of bus operators and retains a role for smaller operators   Skates: ‘We’ll offer various types of franchising contracts’   Small and medium-sized bus operators will continue to play a role in providing local bus services in Wales once franchising has...
New bus fund replaces Scotland’s £500m BPF

New bus fund replaces Scotland’s £500m BPF

The Scottish Government’s draft budget includes a new Bus Infrastructure Fund, but the value of this fund is unquantified   The launch of the £500m Bus Partnership Fund in 2019. Only £26.9m was spent   BY Rhodri Clark The Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2025/26 restores capital funding for Strathclyde Partnership for Transport and heralds...
Vision for integrated transport is unveiled

Vision for integrated transport is unveiled

Transport secretary launches new strategy aimed at joining up England’s transport networks and invites others to contribute to her vision   Haigh cited Greater Manchester’s Bee Network as a domestic integrated transport leader   On the day before she resigned as transport secretary, Louise Haigh set out her vision for joined-up transport networks led by...
Bus ridership on the up but challenges linger

Bus ridership on the up but challenges linger

New statistics reveal strong passenger growth, but there is some way to go before the bus industry surpasses patronage recorded before the pandemic   BY Andrew Garnett New statistics from the Department for Transport reveal that the number of local bus passenger journeys in Great Britain reached 4.04 billion in the year ending March 2024,...
NCT crowned Bus Operator of the Year

NCT crowned Bus Operator of the Year

Council-owned operator won coveted prize at ceremony in London this week, but Stagecoach topped the ‘medal table’ with 12 winners in total   Winners on stage at the 2024 UK Bus Awards   Nottingham City Transport was named UK Bus Operator at this week’s UK Bus Awards in London. The council-owned company was also named...