Begg – Edinburgh must future-proof its buses
Professor David Begg has warned his home city to respond to an increase in bus journey times by extending bus lane hours and vociferous campaigning David Begg (right) with Edinburgh Bus Users Group chair Harald Tobermann and his dog Buster It’s a warning that could be applied to cities across the United Kingdom,...
Begg – transport policy has gone backwards
Former government advisor laments direction of travel over last 20 years and warns that Labour’s policies won’t deliver transformational change Professor David Begg urged Labour to build HS2 to Crewe Former government transport advisor Professor David Begg says the UK is lacking a vision for transforming transport in a way that will deliver...
BYD aiming to make inroads into UK market
BYD has launched the ‘viable’ BD11 double decker in a move that will see the Chinese manufacturer launch a full-scale assault on the UK market London is the first target market for the BYD BD11 BY Andrew Garnett Every now and then, a new vehicle will be introduced to the industry that ostensibly...
Metro mayors plan bus franchising revolution
If metro mayors deliver on their manifesto pledges, almost three-quarters of bus journeys in England will be on publicly-controlled bus networks From left: Pete Bond, TfWM director of integrated transport services, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and Cllr Stephen Simpkins, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council and WMCA Board member This autumn it...
Go-Ahead swoops as Arriva announces cuts
Group plots return to High Wycombe 24 years after sale Go-Ahead’s Carousel Buses operation will step in on most of the routes Arriva is proposing to withdraw Go-Ahead looks set to benefit from a rival operator’s retrenchment following the news that Arriva is consulting on proposals to close its depots in Aylesbury and...
Private TOCs on borrowed time
Labour’s plan for Britain’s railways confirms intention to bring all franchised operations in-house Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh, pictured on a visit to Hitachi When the new South West Trains and Great Western franchises commenced on February 4, 1996, they became the first private sector-operated rail franchises...
Partnership at heart of new era for industry
Headwinds see bus industry entering a defining new phase Martin Dean According to Martin Dean, Go-Ahead’s managing director of UK regional bus, Britain’s bus networks are moving into a new and potentially unsettling era. Speaking at last week’s ALBUM Conference in Cheshire, Dean hypothesised that bus deregulation had gone through three phases since...
Labour vows to fast-track bus franchising
Party says that its plan will allow 250 million more bus passenger journeys a year, but ‘it will require no additional central government spending’ Labour launched its plans in the West Midlands. Left to right: Angela Rayner, Richard Parker and Louise Haigh Labour has promised to help local authorities to introduce bus franchising...
West Mids frontrunner pledges bus franchising
Polls suggest Labour’s Richard Parker will win mayoral election Labour’s launch event was hosted by National Express West Midlands Labour’s candidate in next month’s West Midlands mayoral election has pledged to bring bus services back under public control if he wins power on May 2. The Labour Party chose the West Midlands as...
Elizabeth Line order could plug Derby gap
Order for 10 new trains could solve Alstom order desert Harper (right) met Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge this week Rolling stock manufacturer Alstom has confirmed that it is in “intense discussions” with transport secretary Mark Harper about the future of its Derby plant and a potential order for additional rolling stock for the...
Metroline wins £422m Bee Network growth
London subsidiary of Singapore-based ComfortDelGro has won four Tranche 3 bus franchises in Greater Manchester, boosting its size by 30% Metroline’s contracts are worth £422m and comprise a total of 232 services, 420 buses and over 1,350 employees Metroline has been revealed as the big winner in the third and final round of...
Rail re-nationalisation is ‘tragedy’ – Whitehorn
Former Virgin executive Will Whitehorn tells Lunch with Leon podcast why he believes that Britain’s railway is ‘back in a mode of managed decline’ Whitehorn says there is no doubt that Virgin’s tenure of the West Coast route was a success Will Whitehorn, a close colleague of Sir Richard Branson throughout the nineties and much...
