Inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport

Inside the latest issue of Passenger Transport

Issue 335 of Passenger Transport is published on April 18. Contents include:     LEAD STORY £38m for 319 new green buses across England Funding has been allocated to 12 successful local authorities, with more than half going to West of England Combined Authority for 160 buses   NEWS Passengers...
UK Bus Summit will return this year

UK Bus Summit will return this year

Local transport minister Stephen Lightwood will be among the speakers in Manchester     With the UK bus industry entering a period of rapid evolution, Passenger Transport has partnered with Transport Times to launch the seventh UK Bus Summit. The event will take place on September 11, 2025, in Greater...
£38m for 319 new green buses across England

£38m for 319 new green buses across England

Funding has been allocated to 12 successful local authorities, with more than half going to West of England Combined Authority for 160 buses   More than half of the money (£19.9m) has been allocated to West of England Combined Authority   The government last week announced a £37.8m investment to...
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...
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...
£300m cost estimate for Welsh franchising

£300m cost estimate for Welsh franchising

Assessment presents a range of cost and benefit estimates for the planned ‘Bus Reform’ in Wales, which will see all local bus services re-regulated   TrawsCymru services are already publicly controlled   The cost of transitioning to bus franchising across Wales is estimated at over £300m in the Regulatory Impact...
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...
‘The public transport sector meets here’

‘The public transport sector meets here’

Hamburg will host the UITP Global Public Transport Summit in June. We spoke to UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani, about the event and what visitors can look forward to   UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani   Mohamed, the UITP Summit is fast approaching, and Hamburg will be the first host...
Latest entries
Challenges  are the enemy

Challenges are the enemy

Nexus MD Cathy Massarella struck a pragmatic tone at recent Young Bus Professionals meeting   Cathy Massarella was appointed Nexus managing director in early 2024   By Andrew Garnett It’s a measure of how much the industry has changed. Back in June 2008, at the inaugural meeting of the Young Bus Managers Network in Birmingham,...
What does a fair deal for buses look like?

What does a fair deal for buses look like?

The forthcoming Spending Review will set out priorities for taxpayers’ funds up until 2030. It will be a big moment for buses   Simon Lightwood, the minister for local transport, at the CPT’s annual conference in January   By Alison Edwards Unless you’ve spent months hiding under your duvet, you will be aware that the...
Wimborne Wicko’s winning formula

Wimborne Wicko’s winning formula

  The awards have been flowing towards Andrew Wickham and the Go South Coast business that he has led for 13 years. Here’s why   Andrew Wickham (centre) with colleagues when Go South Coast was crowned ‘UK Bus Operator of the Year’ in 2023   Two awards in the matter of a month for the...
Bringing rail into the Bee Network

Bringing rail into the Bee Network

  Integrating rail lines into our network is fundamental to our wider ambitions. It’s key to unlocking growth in our region and beyond   At the start of the year, I set out ambitious plans to bring eight commuter rail lines into the Bee Network – the next big step for our joined-up public transport...
20 years of championing  women in transport

20 years of championing women in transport

  This year will see 20th anniversary of Women in Transport. It will undoubtedly be a moment to reflect on the past and what has been achieved, but it will also serve as a springboard for future action I was proud to receive an OBE in 2024   BY Sonya Byers This summer, Women in...
Fueling our determination

Fueling our determination

  It’s certainly a different world – but that just makes the D&I Bus Group’s work even more important   Go-Ahead is serious about gender diversity   BY Chloe Leach-O’Connell As we mark International Women’s Day 2025, it feels like the perfect moment to reflect on where we’re at as an industry, and what’s next...
The Period Positive  Workplace campaign

The Period Positive Workplace campaign

  Women in Bus and Coach’s Period Positive Workplace campaign is an important step in creating a more inclusive transport industry   A Period Positive Workplace is one where menstruation is acknowledged as a natural part of life   BY Louise Cheeseman The transport sector has long been a male-dominated industry, and while progress has...
‘We can do anything, any role’

‘We can do anything, any role’

  Nearly 500 talented women are working hard at bus operator Metroline to keep London moving   Laura Darbon recently completed her engineering apprenticeship with Metroline   Women have always played an important role in the bus industry, and that is especially true at leading bus operator Metroline, where nearly 500 talented women work hard...
The power of mentoring

The power of mentoring

  Mentoring can help women develop skills, expand their networks and gain access to opportunities   My mentor: Louise Cheeseman   BY Kerry Turner The transport industry, a cornerstone of the global economy, plays a critical role in connecting people, goods, and services worldwide. Despite its significance, this sector has historically been male-dominated, with women...
New rail watchdog to hold railway to account

New rail watchdog to hold railway to account

The government has launched an eight-week consultation into its Bill to reform Britain’s railways, which include a powerful new passenger voice   Alexander: ‘This landmark reform will sweep away decades of failure’   The government unveiled plans for the long-awaited bill to reform Britain’s railways this week. They include setting up a powerful passenger watchdog...
Public purse provides 50% of bus revenues

Public purse provides 50% of bus revenues

New analysis by Chris Cheek’s Public Transport Monitor reveals extent of increased dependence of England’s bus industry on government money   Direct revenue support, via either the Department for Transport or local government, has doubled from 15% of total income in 2018/19 to 31.3% last year   Public spending on bus services and their passengers...
Bus route keeps Milton Keynes in The Loop

Bus route keeps Milton Keynes in The Loop

Arriva has taken data from a DRT network in Milton Keynes to launch a new orbital bus service that plugs gaps in the commercial local bus network   The Loop launched in early January and has carried over 10,000 passengers in its first four weeks   By Andrew Garnett Back in the 1960s, Milton Keynes...