LCR selects Stagecoach and Go-Ahead

LCR selects Stagecoach and Go-Ahead

Stagecoach has been selected to operate the franchised bus network based in St Helens while Go-Ahead will operates services in Wirral   Mayor Steve Rotheram: buses aren’t a ‘nice to have’ – they’re a lifeline   Stagecoach and Go-Ahead Group have been selected as the first operators to run the...
Public transport’s ‘global family gathering’

Public transport’s ‘global family gathering’

Dubai will host the UITP Summit on April 21-23. We spoke to UITP’s secretary general, Mohamed Mezghani, about the event and what visitors can look forward to   Mohamed Mezghani: “For me, the Summit is about people”   Mohamed, the UITP Summit is heading to Dubai in April, less than...
Out now: The latest issue of Passenger Transport

Out now: The latest issue of Passenger Transport

What’s inside the latest edition of Passenger Transport:     LEAD STORY NPR rail improvements ‘will actually happen’ More than a decade after the Northern Powerhouse Rail project was first proposed, the government has unveiled a three-phase plan for its delivery   NEWS Cornwall probes bus regulation options Market engagement...
NPR rail improvements  ‘will actually happen’

NPR rail improvements ‘will actually happen’

More than a decade after the Northern Powerhouse Rail project was first proposed, the government has unveiled a three-phase plan for its delivery   The plans would see Manchester Piccadilly expanded   A three-phase plan for the long-promised Northern Powerhouse Rail project was unveiled by the government this week. The...
100 more bus routes in Wales and £2 fare cap?

100 more bus routes in Wales and £2 fare cap?

Labour has pledged an enhanced bus offer for Wales if it wins this May’s Senedd election, but will this be matched funding? Rhodri Clark reports   Welsh bus fares for adults aged 22 to 59 would be capped at £2   Labour has pledged 100 more bus routes in Wales...
Let’s get on and fix rail replacement

Let’s get on and fix rail replacement

  A new report by CMAC has shed light on an often overlooked but frequent aspect of the railway’s customer service proposition   2026 has already brought two major shocks. FA Cup holders, my beloved, Crystal Palace, being knocked out of this year’s tournament by non-league Macclesfield, 117 places below...
Putting customers front and centre

Putting customers front and centre

  Those taking decisions should always put themselves in the shoes of the passenger and ask whether what they will think reasonable   Average bus speeds in central London are now down to 7.4mph (picture: Shutterstock)   It was interesting to see the latest figures for bus passenger numbers (PT351)....
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Scottish Transport Awards 2024

Scottish Transport Awards 2024

The Scottish Transport Awards took place on June 20 in Glasgow and you can read all about the winners in this official Souvenir Brochure. Click on the image below to view Scottish Transport Awards Book of Winners 2024.     If you are viewing the site on a tablet or mobile device, tap here to...
Who is offering the best plan for transport?

Who is offering the best plan for transport?

Ahead of next week’s general election, Robert Jack reports on the key transport pledges in the manifestos of Great Britain’s main political parties     Addressing a conference in London last month, Professor David Begg warned that the UK was lacking a vision for transforming transport in a way that will delivery essential economic, social...
CPT seeks clarity on future of £2 fare cap

CPT seeks clarity on future of £2 fare cap

The Labour Party’s manifesto makes no mention of the cap, which has supported the bus industry’s post-Covid recovery over the past 18 months   Labour’s manifesto makes no mention of the £2 bus fare cap   Bus operators have expressed disappointment at Labour Party’s silence on the future of England’s £2 bus fare cap. The...
Agenda for action - 20 steps for success

Agenda for action – 20 steps for success

  The outcome of the election looks increasingly certain, but the aftermath is unclear. But what actions should we be looking for?   Louise Haigh looks set to become the next transport secretary   Just a week or so to go before the General Election – what a long drawn-out campaign it has seemed –...
Renewed 36 is the perfect bus service

Renewed 36 is the perfect bus service

  Transdev Blazefield’s flagship bus route is the textbook study for those looking to see the benefits of investing in customer service   The launch event epitomised the sense of positivity and community engagement that is the bedrock of the 36’s success   I’m spending almost every waking hour these days on buses, doing customer...
Wrightbus aims for NewPower market

Wrightbus aims for NewPower market

The Ballymena-based manufacturer has become the first OEM in the bus sector to launch a diesel to battery-electric repower solution for customers   First Bus Streetdecks under conversion at the NewPower facility   There’s no doubt the electric bus revolution is in full swing, but for some years many have tried (and more often than...
CBT sets its manifesto for next government

CBT sets its manifesto for next government

Rail reforms and a minimum service level for buses are key asks     The Campaign for Better Transport has published its general election manifesto, outlining its transport asks for the next government.   The manifesto calls for prioritising investment in public transport, walking, and cycling over road building. It also advocates for replacing short-term...
Begg - Edinburgh must future-proof its buses

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,...
The good, the less good and the ugly

The good, the less good and the ugly

  It’s that time of year, six months in, for my customary half-term report on how the public transport sector has been performing   The good… Keeping it affordable and simple Let’s be honest, if we cannot get folk to travel by bus when the fares are only £2 then we might as well give...
Bus franchising: one size does not fit all

Bus franchising: one size does not fit all

SYSTRA’s Richard Jeremy and Maqbool Alibhai explain how the future of the UK’s buses will be built on a variety of approaches   There’s a buzz in the bus world about Greater Manchester’s Bee Network   In the recent Westminster Hall debate on transport in the West Midlands, shadow public health minister Preet Kaur Gill...
Begg - transport policy has gone backwards

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...
What will July 4 mean for transport?

What will July 4 mean for transport?

  Rishi Sunak surprised everyone – including many in his own party – by calling an election which will most likely end his time in office   Things can only get wetter: Rishi Sunak’s Downing Street announcement   There have, Heinz-style, been 57 varieties of prime minister since the post was established with Sir Robert...