Passenger Transport: September 19, 2024

‘Uneven playing field’ puts ADL jobs at risk

Bus manufacturer begins consultation on Scottish bus manufacturing jobs and accuses various government policies of favouring lower-cost imports

Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited has announced a consultation process that could put 160 jobs at risk in Scotland, citing concerns over how government zero-emission bus funding has favoured foreign competitors in recent years.

The move comes despite record levels of funding from both the UK and Scottish governments aimed at promoting zeroemission buses. ADL argues that some of these policies have disproportionately benefitted competitors from “lower-cost” and “lower-security economies”. Chinese manufacturer Yutong has made inroads into the UK market in recent years, winning

CATCH THE BUS, MPS URGE

MPs joined the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Buses and Coaches last week to urge people to get on board for ‘Catch the Bus Month’, and beyond. Parliamentarians from all parties climbed aboard a specially branded bus arranged by Dawsongroup Bus and Coach.

Alex Mayer MP, who is the secretary for the Buses and Coaches APPG in Westminster, said: “Buses are so important ... APPG is urging everyone to give the bus a go this Catch the Bus Month.”

major zero-emission bus orders from operators such as McGill’s in Scotland as well as First Bus and Go-Ahead subsidiaries.

Paul Davies, ADL’s president and managing director commented: “We are proud to be headquartered in the UK with much of our workforce based here ... We are deeply disappointed

“Bus companies effectively are incentivised to buy from lower-security economies”

Paul Davies, ADL

that the ongoing effect of various government policies is now threatening some of these jobs.”

“Competition in itself is healthy, but when taxpayer money is spent with little domestic industrial, economic or employment benefit and bus companies effectively are incentivised to buy from lowersecurity economies, it creates an incomprehensible dynamic and an uneven playing field.”

ADL claimed it had invested significantly in its UK facilities, supported by its parent company NFI Group since 2019. These investments have bolstered local economies and strengthened domestic manufacturing.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 07

Parliamentarians from all parties climbed aboard a specially branded

We need a clear roadmap to get to Net Zero

Robert Jack

Transport is one of the most challenging and complex sectors of the UK economy to decarbonise. It is also responsible for around a quarter of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. It’s vital that that we make rapid progress in the remaining years of the current decade, and that will require the new ministerial team at the Department for Transport to “move fast and fix things”. Ahead of July’s general election, Lord Deben, chair of the newly-established independent Council for Net Zero Transport, warned: “Progress on net zero has stalled. In some areas we’ve gone backwards.”

Next month’s Zemo Partnership Summit 2024 in London will provide an opportunity to learn more about the challenges and opportunities presented by decarbonisation. It will also provide an opportunity to hear about how Zemo Partnership members will work with the Council for Net Zero Transport to develop a delivery roadmap for net zero transport to inform and guide government policies.

This edition of Passenger Transport features articles from Zemo Partnership executive director Claire Haigh and the Go-Ahead Group on the Journey to Net Zero (pages 22-26). The importance of this topic cannot be overlooked. As Haigh has previously stated: “We urgently need to move beyond targets to the delivery of net zero transport. There are huge benefits and industrial opportunities if we get this right. We need a clear roadmap to the destination.”

IN THIS ISSUE

20 WE NEED TO BAKE IN PUBLIC TRANSPORT

The new government is planning a housebuilding revolution, but it is imperative those new homes are plugged into public transport.

“This could present some exciting opportunities for passenger transport,” writes Nick Richardson.

18

L ARGE ORGANISATIONS CAN BECOME AGILE

“Everywhere you look, organisations are becoming more bureaucratic and less agile,” writes Thomas Ableman He explains how his experience at Transport for London and Chiltern Railways, and lessons from elsewhere, show it doesn’t have to be this way.

31

T

A NE W DAW N FOR BUSES?

IME W ILL TELL

Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the Department for Transport. “None of this removes the obvious elephant in the room, and I doubt the Buses Bill will either ... Funding.”

32 STRASBOURG IS THE ‘OBVIOUS CHOICE’

In a change from its traditional venue, the 11th edition of EuropeanMobility Expo will be held in Strasbourg from October 1-3 2024. 11,000 visitors are expected to attend this go-to European event for professionals working in public transport.

Telephone: 020 3950 8000

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SUBSCRIPTIONS

Legislation to speed up franchising powers

Statutory instrument a prelude to wider powers in Buses Bill

BUSES BILL

The government has introduced a statutory instrument in parliament as an interim measure that will extend bus franchising powers to all Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) in England. It will mean that all LTAs will be able to franchise their bus networks should they wish to without the need for consent from the secretary of state for transport. Previously these powers were limited to mayoral combined authorities.

A consultation has also been launched on draft guidance aimed at helping local leaders bring bus services under public control under existing powers. This “simplified guidance” seeks to simplify the franchising process by removing barriers, speeding up transitions, and lowering costs.

It also strongly focuses on the welfare of both passengers and drivers, urging local authorities to address issues like driver wellbeing, antisocial behaviour, and violence against women and girls.

This will be a prelude to the Buses Bill announced in the King’s Speech. This more encompassing legislation is planned to follow the statutory instrument and be designed to ease the franchising process further. While no specific timeline for its introduction has been provided, the Department for Transport has confirmed that it will be brought forward “later in the parliamentary session” to build on these immediate legislative and guidance changes. No further details have been provided, but the DfT has confirmed that the legislation will reverse the ban on new municipal bus operations introduced as part of the Bus Services Act 2017.

It added that the legislation would also provide greater

Broad support for legislative plans

Government’s pace of transport change welcomed

REACTION

There was swift reaction to the government’s plans to simplify the bus franchising process.

Jason Prince, director of the Urban Transport Group, welcomed the pace at which the government was moving on its transport plans. “Buses are the cornerstone of our public transport system, so it’s greatly

encouraging to see this new package of measures, which will deliver better bus services for more local areas,” he said.

Adam Hug, transport spokesperson for the Local Government Association, highlighted the critical role of buses in local government efforts to ensure access to economic growth, reduce emissions, and

flexibility over bus funding and take steps to improve bus services for communities that choose not to pursue public control.

“The government believes that this plan will give local leaders the tools they need to deliver integrated networks which reflect the needs of local communities that rely on them,” said the DfT.

“Alongside this, we are building our capacity within the DfT to provide tangible on-the-ground support to LTAs throughout the

prevent social isolation. “These proposed measures recognise the fundamental role of local leadership in shaping future bus provision, which the LGA has long been calling for,” he added.

The government’s plans were announced by transport secretary Louise Haigh during a visit to Peterborough and welcomed by Dr Nik Johnson, the region’s metro mayor. “This is a government that understands what the communities and economies of places like Cambridgeshire and

franchising process, should they wish to pursue it.

“This work will support the government’s ambitions for devolution by not just giving local authorities new powers, but ensuring that they have the resources to deliver the new devolved powers and functions.”

Commenting on the statutory instrument, transport secretary

Louise Haigh said buses are the lifeblood of local communities, but cuts to services meant that for too many people, it had become impossible to rely on local services.

“Today is the first stop on our journey to delivering better buses across the country,” she said. “After decades of failed deregulation, local leaders will finally have the powers to provide services that deliver for passengers.

“And we are taking steps to support local leaders to deliver improved bus services faster and cheaper than ever before. With local communities firmly back in the driving seat, our bus revolution will save vital routes up and down the country and put passengers first.”

Peterborough need,” he said. “Good quality public transport is a vital part of people’s lives, and none more so than local bus services, so it’s a huge boost to see much-needed change coming to life.”

Bus operators expressed cautious optimism. The Confederation of Passenger Transport said, “Whatever the form of regulation, operators share the government’s enthusiasm for growing passenger numbers and making bus services even better.”

Haigh: ‘Local leaders will finally have the powers to provide for passengers’

Stagecoach South West wins Guernsey contract

Exeter-based firm captures contract from Kelsian Group

CONTRACTS

Stagecoach has been awarded the contract to operate Guernsey’s public bus services and integrated school bus routes following a competitive tender process by the States of Guernsey. Capturing the contract is another gain in the contracted bus market for the group and follows gains made with the Greater Manchester Bee Network as well as the group’s London operation. The new contract will begin in April 2025, immediately after the existing contract ends on March 31, 2025. Stagecoach will take over the operation of 20 core public bus routes and 24 school services, with the contract lasting for five years and an option to extend for a further two years.

The tender process saw Stagecoach score highly on both

ALBUM

CONTRACT CONCERNS AIRED

Worries after SMEs fail to make Bee Network progress

OPERATORS

Concerns have been raised by industry leaders about Transport for Greater Manchester’s decision to award the majority of its Bee Network local and school bus contracts to larger operators, leaving small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with limited opportunities. The experience in Greater Manchester, where only two smaller operators have been awarded Bee Network contracts, reinforces these

the quality of service and value for money elements of the tendering process. As part of the transition, the company will welcome 73 staff members currently employed by the outgoing operator, CT Plus, which was acquired by Australia’s Kelsian Group from HCT group in 2022. Stagecoach will also retain the local buses.gg branding rather than use the group’s own brand to deliver services on the ground.

Deputy Adrian Gabriel, vice-president of Guernsey’s committee for the environment and infrastructure, expressed confidence in Stagecoach’s ability to deliver the new contract.

“We’re delighted to appoint Stagecoach as our new bus service provider,” he said. “They are a well-known and established company with vast experience from their multiple contracts

worries about the challenges faced by SME companies in areas that adopt the franchising model. Experts warn this shift could have long-term consequences for the bus sector.

Bill Hiron, chairman and chief executive of Eastern Transport Holdings, the parent company of Stephensons and NIBS Buses, and chair of the ALBUM group of municipal and SME-owned bus operators, expressed concern that franchising could sideline smaller firms. “We must be cautious not to lose the valuable contributions made by SME operators,” he said. “It’s crucial to find ways to support their continued participation in

held across the UK.” Gabriel also acknowledged the contributions of CT Plus, particularly in maintaining services during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Stagecoach South West will be responsible for the dayto-day management of the Guernsey contract. Peter Knight, managing director of the Exeterbased subsidiary, described the opportunity as an exciting addition to the group.

“We’re looking forward to meeting new members of the team and customers in Guernsey as we begin to mobilise this operation over the coming months,” said Knight. “This important and high-profile contract provides us with the opportunity to bring safe, highquality bus services to the island over the coming years - keeping these communities connected to the people and places that matter most.”

As part of the contract, Stagecoach has already identified potential improvements, particularly around school bus services, which the company plans to address in collaboration with the local government.

the market.”

Hiron and ALBUM have been actively engaging with government officials, including buses minister Simon Lightwood, to seek support for SME operators. As franchising expands across the country, they hope to ensure a level playing field for smaller operators in franchise bidding contests.

Former First South West commercial director Marc Morgan Huws, now working in the heritage rail sector, echoed Hiron’s concerns and went further by questioning the requirements of many bus service procurement exercises. “Does a contract operation really require

the requirements that tenders are bidding against?” Huws asked. “There’s a contracting authority out there somewhere who is going to realise that the basic requirements could actually be hugely simplified at a considerable cost saving and still deliver good quality delivery.”

Huws argued that the current tender process often rewards companies that excel on paper rather than those best suited to deliver quality service on the ground. “We have probably reached the level of detailed submission where the winning bidder isn’t necessarily the best operator, but the one who can devise the best answers,” he said.

Stagecoach will retain existing bus branding

Flawed processes and politics hampered HS2

The failures and rising costs of HS2 were down to political meddling and not the engineering sector, the Institution of Civil Engineers has concluded

HS2

A new report from the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) probing the cancellation of HS2’s second phase has pointed to political mismanagement as the primary reason for its problems.

The ICE study concludes that the setbacks surrounding HS2 Phase 2 were not due to engineering flaws or construction challenges but rather a series of political missteps that ultimately drove the project off course.

The report, released before the one-year anniversary of HS2’s northern leg being scrapped by then prime minister Rishi Sunak, finds that political pressures plagued the project from the outset. According to the ICE, the Labour government rushed initial planning in 2009, driven by the desire to establish HS2 Ltd before the 2010 general election. This haste led to the project’s approval through a hybrid parliamentary bill, which added further political complexities. Tunnels, for

MAYORS OFFER

HS2 ALTERNATIVE

HIGH SPEED RAIL

A new part-private sector railway line connecting the West Midlands and Greater Manchester is being proposed as a replacement for the scrapped northern leg of HS2.

The 80km line, championed by metro mayors Andy Burnham

example, were extended to gain political support, often at the expense of cost-efficiency.

The report describes how leadership instability within HS2 Ltd exacerbated the situation.

Frequent management changes resulted in the loss of institutional knowledge, leading to significant and costly decisions being revisited or abandoned altogether. For example, a plan to use standardised bridge designs - a decision that would have kept costs down - was never fully implemented.

Meanwhile, the political upheaval following the European Union referendum led to the loss of ‘guiding minds’ and project champions, meaning that the

“It is not possible to separate politics from major infrastructure projects”

and Richard Parker, is expected to generate a £70bn economic boost for both city regions and alleviate congestion on the West Coast Main Line and the M6 motorway. The line would be split into two sections: the Staffordshire Connector, linking Fradley in Lichfield with Crewe, and the Cheshire Connector, connecting Crewe with High Legh, where it would join Northern Powerhouse Rail. The mayors are urging the government

capability to challenge the design and costs was eroded across the government, Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd. Many technical aspects were outsourced and there was an increasing reliance on external consultants.

Meanwhile, the frequent and rapid turnover of ministers in the late 2010s hampered the project as it “afforded limited opportunity for office-holders to master their brief”. It also meant they lacked sufficient understanding of infrastructure delivery and budgets for major projects like HS2.

“More stability in appointments is required, but will inevitably be subject to wider political factors,” concluded the report. “Ensuring ministers receive appropriate advice before making decisions or even training to understand how a project works at budget and programme level would help.”

Despite the project’s political and leadership challenges, the ICE report acknowledges the significant technical achievements

to support the project in the Autumn Budget to begin feasibility work.

The line could be up to 75% cheaper than HS2 Phase 2, saving around £2bn while delivering 85% of the benefits. However, trains on the new link would travel at a maximum speed of 300kph, slower than HS2’s projected 360kph.

The mayors are pressing the government to retain land purchased for HS2 between Handsacre and Crewe, which is critical for the

of Phase 1. “What has been achieved so far on Phase 1 demonstrates the civil engineering and construction capability in the UK to deliver a project of this scale,” it said. “HS2 has driven innovation in delivery practices, including pioneering ways to reduce the impacts of large-scale infrastructure projects.”

However, the report warns that these lessons must be learnt as the UK embarks on other major infrastructure projects. Without clearer leadership, better planning, and less political meddling, the risk of repeating the same mistakes remain high.

In conclusion, the ICE report reiterates its caution to future governments. “It is not possible to separate politics from major infrastructure projects,” the report says, but strategic decisions must be driven by clear outcomes rather than political expediency.

“The cancellation of HS2’s Northern leg exemplifies how impossible it is to separate major infrastructure projects from politics,” said Jonathan Spruce, ICE trustee for policy and external affairs. “The number one lesson is that governments need to think long-term, select and prioritise projects based on strategic needs, and follow through. Getting it right improves people’s lives.”

project. They also view the railway as a “golden opportunity” to position the UK as a destination for institutional infrastructure investment. Burnham warned that failure to improve rail connections would stifle economic growth. The report was led by former Network Rail chief executive Sir David Higgins and a consortium including Arup, Skanska, and EY. They call for swift government action to make the plan a reality.

Arriva report aims to help fix the railway

Proposals build on pledge to ‘move fast and fix things’

REFORM

Arriva has unveiled a five-step plan aimed at fast-tracking the UK government’s efforts to reform the railways.

The plan, outlined in a new report - Accelerating the Government’s Ambition to Fix Britain’s Railways - proposes immediate changes to improve services, boost rail usage, and support public finances while the government’s long-term rail reform agenda takes shape.

Arriva’s UK Trains division, which includes open access operator Grand Central, as well as Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, and the London Overground concession, Arriva Rail London, is urging swift action to stabilise and build upon existing rail services. Among the key recommendations are a more flexible approach to

‘UNEVEN PLAYING FIELD’ PUTS ADL JOBS AT RISK

Continued from page 1

However, the manufacturer claims that current policies and tariffs do not adequately support these efforts.

It added the 10% tariff applied to electric buses in the UK is lower than the 16% tariff for diesel vehicles, a disparity that Alexander Dennis argues undermines the competitiveness of British-made buses.

timetabling, better utilisation of train fleets, and enhancing workforce skills to tackle the industry’s talent gap.

The proposals focus on making better use of underused trains and simplifying timetabling to match passenger demand, with Arriva claiming this could help ease overcrowding and unlock economic growth. The company also calls for the introduction of new services, including an ambitious Oxford to Cambridge rail link, and approval of new open-access routes that would encourage competition and innovation in the sector.

“The last few years have been a challenging time for the British railway - but now is the time

“Now is the time for optimistic, forward looking change”

David Brown, Arriva

Additionally, ADL added, the UK’s Subsidy Control Act 2022 restricts the ability of authorities to grant subsidies that favour domestic manufacturers over international competitors.

In Scotland, UK-based manufacturers face further challenges due to the Fair Work First standards, which mandate higher employee welfare and safety requirements for companies receiving Scottish Government funding. Foreign suppliers are not bound by these standards, placing UK manufacturers at an additional disadvantage.

The company said these policies

for optimistic, forward looking change under a new government,” said David Brown, managing director of Arriva UK Trains.

“There is a real opportunity to marry long-term structural reform, which Labour has set out, with further short-term improvements for passengers and the taxpayer. Our proposals set out a series of crucial steps for the government to help deliver on that promise, accelerate their ambition to fix Britain’s railways, deliver tangible change for passengers, and realise the railway’s potential as an engine of economic growth.”

The group’s plan also pushes for new ticketing options, aiming to make rail travel more accessible and appealing to commuters. Arriva argues that these immediate reforms could help the government achieve quicker results while longerterm structural changes are implemented.

had led it to consider reducing its production capacity to align with its order book. The company has now initiated a statutory consultation process, placing 160 roles in Scotland at risk of redundancy.

Paul Davies added: “While our statutory consultation has commenced, we will continue to do everything we can to save and protect as many jobs as possible. We will continue our dialogue with governments to identify potential solutions to level the playing field, strengthen our industry and drive investments in local jobs and domestic supply.”

SCR FNDING SCRAPPED

The government has ended funding for bus retrofits with Selective Catalytic Reduction technology. Funding was paused in April 2023 after studies showed real-world emission reductions were far lower than expected. Initial programmes saw £95m allocated for retrofitting around 9,000 buses. However, further research revealed that NOX reductions varied significantly due to a variety of factors, including the condition of the actual engine, with an average reduction of just 11% compared to non-retrofitted Euro 5 buses. This was far lower than the anticipated 80% reduction hoped for, leading to the decision to halt support.

CARDIFF CROSSRAIL PLANS

Plans have been revealed for a new tramway from Cardiff Central railway station to Cardiff Bay, connecting the two directly by rail for the first time. The first phase of Cardiff Crossrail, which is being delivered by Cardiff Council and Transport for Wales (TfW), will significantly improve the railway network between the city centre and Cardiff Bay, benefiting the wider city and region.

The scheme will deliver a new two-platform station located in the southern car park of Cardiff Central railway station, with easy interchange at the station. The proposed new tramway would cross Callaghan Square to join the existing Cardiff Bay line and on to Cardiff Bay. A third platform will be built at Cardiff Bay railway station as part of the scheme, which is in addition to the second platform already being built as part of the ongoing transformation of the Cardiff Bay line, through the South Wales Metro project. IN BRIEF

West of England to probe option for PTE

Transport executive seen as key milestone for bus franchising

REFORM

Members of the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) were told this week that the establishment of a Passenger Transport Executive (PTE) could be crucial to facilitate bus franchising in the region.

Compared to other mayoral combined authorities such as Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, and West Yorkshire, which have already moved towards franchising, the West of England has never had a PTE. WECA believes this could place the region at a disadvantage when it comes to implementing effective transport policy reforms.

In a paper to members by WECA policy manager Claire Miles, the challenges and opportunities facing the region as it considers options

ATTACK DELAYS C2C CONTACTLESS

Cyber attack at TfL behind decision to postpone launch

SECURITY

The effects of the recent cyber attack on Transport for London are still being felt, with TfL employees reported to be required to attend in-person meetings to verify their identities and reset passwords and login credentials.

TfL said some suspicious activity was identified on September 1 and action was immediately taken to limit access to its IT systems. It has confirmed that customer data was

for bus service improvement, including franchising, Enhanced Partnerships, and municipal ownership, were evaluated. The West of England has been grappling with the complexities of improving local bus services, and the creation of a PTE is seen as a potential step toward achieving more strategic and coordinated transport solutions.

Traditionally the PTEs in the former metropolitan counties acted as executive bodies responsible for delivering a region’s transport priorities.

Members were told they operated with a degree of independence, often with a board of directors,

“Having a division between the two bodies will improve decision making”

Claire Miles, WECA

accessed during the attack and that an individual has been arrested in connection with the incident. The breach may have exposed the bank details of around 5,000 customers, prompting the temporary suspension of applications for all new Oyster photo and Zip cards.

“Some Oyster card refund data may also have been accessed,” admitted Shashi Verma, TfL’s chief technology officer. “This could include bank account numbers and sort codes for a limited number of customers. As a precautionary measure, we will be contacting these customers directly as soon as possible to advise them of the

enabling them to drive forward delivery of transport projects.

“Not having a similar transport executive body for the West of England could place the region at a disadvantage, potentially limiting the capacity and capabilities needed to deliver transformational transport projects and leaving the region unable to fully realise the benefits of strategic coordination,” she said. “It would be useful to look at the powers and functions held by similar transport executive bodies, and to consider if implementing them in the West of England will help us achieve our strategic ambitions for transport in the region.”

Miles concluded that members should probe the exploration of the case for a PTE alongside a high-level feasibility study to assess different bus reform options. The feasibility study will look at models like bus franchising, Enhanced Partnerships and municipal

support we can provide and the steps they can take.”

Public transport services were largely unaffected by the cyber attack, which primarily disrupted internal systems and refund processing. However, the impact has led to delays in restoring certain TfL systems. As a result, train operator c2c has postponed the rollout of contactless pay-as-you-go ticketing, which was scheduled to launch next week.

“The serious nature of the ongoing Transport for London cyber attack means it is not possible to launch pay-as-you-go with contactless across our route as planned on

ownership, with a proposed budget of £500,000. An external partner would be appointed to conduct the research, and the findings would be reported to members in the 2025-26.

The study will consider the impact of forthcoming national legislation, such as the Buses Bill and the English Devolution Bill, both expected in 2025. These bills will likely change the statutory process for bus franchising and devolve additional powers to local authorities, potentially influencing the future of bus services in the West of England.

“Ensuring the right governance is in place will help to facilitate the delivery of whatever model of bus reform is pursued,” said Miles. “An arm’s length executive body would provide a clear delineation between the strategic transport planning functions that sit within the combined authority and the operational delivery of transport systems within the region. Having a division between the two bodies will improve decision making, enabling each body to have appropriate roles, governance processes and a clear division of responsibilities.”

September 22,” said c2c managing director Rob Mullen. “While unfortunate, it’s essential that TfL fully resolves these issues before we move forward.”

Verma aplogised for the delay and added that TfL was working with the Department for Transport and the Rail Delivery Group to reschedule the planned launch at c2c.

The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirmed the arrest of a 17-year-old from the West Midlands in connection with the incident. He was questioned by officers and later released on bail, pending further investigation into potential Computer Misuse Act offences.

Operator suggests fare cap has boosted bus use

Centrebus has seen patronage growth of 40% since July 2022

FARES

The future of England’s £2 bus fare cap remains uncertain, but one operator is already highlighting the scheme’s success. The fare cap, initially introduced to make bus travel more affordable, is scheduled to end in December 2024. Transport secretary Louise Haigh has indicated that the Department for Transport is “looking at various options,” including the possibility of more targeted approaches to the cap in the future.

Before the general election some operators expressed concern about the future of the scheme. “The £2 cap was introduced without any thought to its

RAIL REPLACEMENT EXEMPTION PLAN

Vehicles win reprieve from information regulations

ACCESSIBILITY

The Department of Transport has announced that coaches used for rail replacement services can apply for a temporary exemption from complying with the Accessible Information Regulations (AIR), which will take effect on October 1. The exemption offers relief to smaller bus and coach operators and train operators, who had raised concerns about potential shortages in available vehicles if the new rules were enforced without flexibility.

Coaches carrying more than 16 passengers on rail replacement routes classified as ‘local services’

exit,” said Bill Hiron, chairman and chief executive of Eastern Transport Holdings and chair of the ALBUM group of municipal and SME-owned bus operators (PT318). “I can’t envisage the new government just dropping the scheme at the end of December - the fallout for such a ‘relatively’ small sum would be vast.”

While the government considers its next steps, some bus operators are already seeing clear benefits. Centrebus, an independent operator serving Leicester, Grantham, Luton, and Buxton, has reported a significant increase in passenger numbers since the cap’s introduction. Centrebus managing director David Brookes spoke about the positive impact. “Over the past two years, the number of buses at our four depots has remained

can now apply for an exemption. This exemption will remain in place until July 2026. Small buses, with a capacity of 16 passengers or fewer, were already excluded from the regulations, and the rules also do not apply to services where more than half of the route covers distances of 15 miles or more between stops.

However, operators who have received funding from the Accessible Information Grant will not receive an exemption from the rules. Vehicles introduced to local services on or after October 1, 2019, must comply with the deadline, while older vehicles have until October 2025 or October 2026.

The Confederation of Passenger Transport had previously expressed concerns about the potential impact on smaller bus and coach operators.

relatively constant, but we have seen an increase in passenger numbers ranging between 27% and 52%, depending on the location,” he said.

Brookes attributes this growth to several factors, including local partnerships and the fare cap. He continued: “We are part of, and have benefited from, the groundbreaking bus partnership in Leicester, innovative reductions in weekly and monthly ticket prices in Luton, and of course, the £2 fare cap throughout our network.”

The results have been impressive, with Brookes noting an overall increase in patronage of around 40% between July 2022 and July 2024. “There are a number of factors that have contributed to this growth,” he added. “We believe the £2 fare cap has been one of them.”

Keith McNally, CPT’s operations director, welcomed the DfT’s decision: “It follows months of discussion where we provided data to show there is scant economic justification for coaches commonly used for rail replacement services to be fitted with the specialist display equipment.”

He highlighted the need for flexibility, noting that “the case for investing on these vehicles is weak”. McNally added: “It is great to hear that some practical exemptions will allow audio and visual announcements to be made in alternative ways on coaches used to replace rail services until the summer of 2026. We hope this will give time to consider the practical and economic challenges, develop appropriate solutions where appropriate, and decide the longer-term position.”

STAGECOACH FIRM GIVEN WARNING

Harrington makes move following reliability probe

COMPLIANCE

Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire has received a formal warning from deputy traffic commissioner Fiona Harrington after a public inquiry into the operator’s service reliability. While Harrington found that Stagecoach had failed to meet timetables on several occasions “without reasonable excuse”, she ruled out imposing penalties. The inquiry followed complaints from passengers and a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) investigation in late 2023 and early 2024. The probe focused on key routes, including Routes 5, 30, 50, X5, and 685, where punctuality fell below the 95% threshold set within the ‘window of tolerance’ (between one minute early and five minutes late). While acknowledging the shortcomings, Harrington noted the operator’s efforts to address the issues. Stagecoach worked closely with local authorities to improve reliability, with traffic congestion identified as a key obstacle. One route, Route 685 from Carlisle to Newcastle, saw significant passenger complaints. In response, Stagecoach revised timetables and deployed double deckers, which improved performance. The operator also cited driver shortages and a lack of skilled mechanics as contributing factors, but highlighted investment and other initiatives to tackle these challenges. Harrington commended the firm for its commitment to meeting customer needs.

In her conclusion, Harrington stopped short of issuing a penalty, noting that Stagecoach’s efforts to improve performance were already in progress. However, she made it clear that the warning should serve as a reminder of the importance of meeting regulatory standards.

Hyslop encouraged by Hynes presence at GBR

Scottish transport secretary believes former ScotRail boss will ensure a good outcome for Scotland’s railway as Great British Railways is formed

DEVOLUTION

Scottish transport secretary Fiona Hyslop has expressed hope that Alex Hynes’s secondment to the Department for Transport will ensure the UK government has an understanding of Scotland’s position as the new Great British Railways is formed.

Hynes was managing director of Northern before moving to Scotland in 2017 to lead the combined Network Rail Scotland and ScotRail. In March this year, he began a two-year secondment from Network Rail to the DfT, where he is director general, rail services.

He is now expected to be closely involved in putting flesh on the bones of Great British Railways, which the Labour government has committed to introducing as the new directing mind for

TfW TO BOOST SUNDAY BUSES?

Demand for travel on Sundays has increased

LEISURE TRAVEL

Transport for Wales is exploring further opportunities to improve Sunday bus services, following encouraging results in north west Wales. TfW Rail has already negotiated an agreement with train crews which makes Sundays part of the normal working week, opening the door to more Sunday trains in future timetables. Sundays have become one of the most popular days for leisure travel

the network and industry. GBR requires legislation, but was launched in shadow form on September 3.

GBR will bring together track and train, and Hyslop told a Holyrood committee that Scotland had already done that. “We work very well with Network Rail and ScotRail, and that work provides efficiencies in investment and planning,” she said. “I visited the control centre and discussed the multiple storms that we had last year and how we react when there are major weather-related disruptions. The

“We do not want to see complete centralisation”

Fiona Hyslop

in the UK, including shopping trips, visiting friends and relatives, going for country walks or visiting the seaside and tourist attractions. Most people who take weekend breaks travel home on Sundays.

UK passenger transport has, on the whole, lagged behind the increase in demand for Sunday travel. Most bus and train routes have fewer services on Sundays than on other days. Many bus routes have no Sunday services. The bus industry also traditionally operates Sunday timetables on bank holidays.

TfW took a different approach last year on the TrawsCymru T10 route between Bangor and Corwen. TfW

integration of track and train is a positive step forward.

“Members will be aware that the previous UK government seconded Alex Hynes into the Department for Transport to work on the rail reform legislation.”

She said the legislation would be a step forward for England and Wales, but she had concerns about how it might operate in Scotland. “We do not want to see complete centralisation [in GBR] that would undermine the progress that we have made in integrating track and train.”

She also said: “I would hope, with Alex Hynes having been seconded into the UK Department for Transport, that there will be an understanding in the centre of the UK government of Scotland’s position and the opportunities that exist.”

manages TrawsCymru services on behalf of the Welsh Government. On the western half of the T10 route, between Bangor and Betwsy-coed, timetables were enhanced on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays in the main tourism season last year and this year. The buses operated hourly, with a two-hour gap at lunchtime, to give visitors better access to a popular area of Eryri national park (formerly Snowdonia). Passenger numbers on the T10 increased by 65% last year.

TfW bus officers told the TfW board: “Work is underway to identify further opportunities for revenue growth through marketing, ticketing and

She had already told her UK counterpart, Louise Haigh, that the Scottish Government’s model is for rail services to be fully devolved to Scotland. “The right way forward for Labour would be for it to recognise devolution and that Scotland has been leading in much of the policy direction that it wants to go in. If, following the understanding that we can have devolved operation of transport services, Labour wanted to copy our model for the rest of the UK, it would be a shame and, I think, a retrograde step if it centralised rail.”

Haigh summarised the UK government’s aims for GBR when she announced the launch of the Shadow GBR. She said: “I am determined to end the chaos, delay and disruption faced by people on train journeys every day. Establishing Shadow Great British Railways marks a significant step towards delivering a unified railway with passengers at its heart by bringing together track and train, and by progressing the Passenger Railway Services Bill we’re one step closer to public ownership which will help put our railways back on track.”

improved Sunday services. Lessons from Traws are also being applied for the ongoing bus franchising work.”

The Welsh Government aims to introduce bus franchising in all areas of Wales. Improvements in Sunday bus services as a feature of franchising would increase operating costs, but the services’ social, environmental and economic benefits could justify an increase in bus funding.

TfW’s board was given other positive TrawsCymru statistics. Overall demand on TrawsCymru services grew by 19% in 2023/24. There was 24% growth on contracts which TfW had procured.

UK Power Networks supports electrification

£4m investment energises green buses in Thornton Heath

INFRASTRUCTURE

UK Power Networks has invested £4m in new power infrastructure to turn Arriva’s Thornton Heath bus fleet green. Arriva will run 109 new electric buses from Whitehall Road bus depot following energisation of new electricity infrastructure which was funded, fast-tracked and built through UK Power Networks’ Green Recovery Fund.

UK Power Networks, which delivers power to 19 million people across London, the South East and East of England, has delivered a new 4.5-megawatt power connection to support electric buses on Routes 64, 612, 50, 194, 250, 255, 289, 683, 689 and related night routes.

The power distributor has installed 5km of new high-voltage

LOTHIAN E-BUSES ENTER SERVICE

First of 50 Volvo BZL/MCV deckers join firm’s

ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES

The first of Lothian’s 50-strong fleet of fully electric Volvo BZL double deck buses entered service on September 8. The MCV-bodied buses are initially operating on the council-owned company’s Route 8 and 9. At an investment of more than £24m, Lothian’s commitment to introduce cleaner, greener buses into the fleet underpins one aspect of a much wider strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2035.

underground cabling and built new equipment at an electricity substation to enable the bus garage to convert to electric buses, supporting progress towards cleaner air and lower carbon emissions.

Adam Lakey, leading the Green Recovery projects for UK Power Networks, said: “This investment is a watershed for Thornton Heath bus garage, which can now electrify its bus fleet and usher in a new age of cleaner, greener electric public transport.

“Our Green Recovery programme has delivered essential new power infrastructure to bus fleets, motorway service areas and rapid charging hubs to connect

more electric vehicles and accelerate the country’s transition to net zero carbon emissions.”

Nick Owen, director of buses at TfL, said: “With more than 1,500 zero emission vehicles on London’s roads, our programme of decarbonising the capital’s buses is playing a crucial role in the journey to Net Zero. Zero emission buses help Londoners breathe cleaner air and reduce the impact of road transport on our environment.

“Investment into the electricity network and securing power at all bus garages is vital to ensure the transition and operation of zero emission buses in London.”

“Investment into the electricity network and securing power at all bus garages is vital to ensure the transition”

Nick Owen, Transport for London

HYDROGEN COACH DEVELOPMENT

Wrightbus

hails significant step forward

ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES

Wrightbus this month took the wraps off the latest stage of its hydrogen coach development following successful government funding.

CEO Jean-Marc Gales described the latest zero-emission coach iteration, a 300kw hydrogen coach demonstrator unveiled at the CenexExpo at Millbrook, as a significant step forward in the road to decarbonising the public transport industry. He said he was hugely grateful to the support of the Department for Business and Trade, delivered through the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), and with partners including Queen’s University Belfast and Symbio.

“While buses have been in the Wrightbus DNA since day one we know that to have a real impact on public transport we must tackle the decarbonisation of coaches. Yet they have different needs - they must go further for longer and carry much higher payloads. Although the demonstrator on show at Cenex is not the finished article, we have worked heavily on creating a new driveline and our testing shows it can cover 1,000kms on one refuelling.” On the back of five landmark deals in Germany and a workforce heading towards 2,000 people, the company has also launched NewPower, a manufacturing wing which strips out diesel bus engines and replaces them with EV powertrains.

“Our testing shows it can cover 1,000kms on one refuelling”

Jean-Marc Gales

The first of 50 electric buses ordered by Lothian have arrived

TfW makes Hitachi MaaS delivery partner

Hitachi will deliver a multi-modal digital booking system

MAAS

Transport for Wales has selected Hitachi to help digitally transform public transport within Wales, making it easier for customers to plan, book and pay for different modes of travel.

Over the next five years, Hitachi will deliver a multi-modal digital booking system that will include all modes of public transport and be available to customers through a simple, user friendly app. Rail, local bus, fflecsi and TrawsCymru services will all be available to plan and book through the single digital back-office solution from Hitachi, as well as a host of other micromobility (bikes, e-scooters) and demand-based mobility solutions already being used in Wales.

Hitachi is leveraging its digital

CITYSWIFT HELPS FRANCHISING PREPARATIONS

Strategic collaboration will support TfW

OPTIMISATION

CitySwift has this week announced the continuation of its partnership with Transport for Wales. The Galway based company’s platform has been helping TfW understand network performance through accurate, reliable data insights since 2021. The partnership will ensure CitySwift, a global leader in performance optimisation for the public transport sector, continues

expertise from its involvement in ticketing on the Japanese rail network and various initiatives in Italy to develop a bespoke Mobility as a Service (MaaS) product for Wales. With over 50 million multimodal ticketing transactions taking place every day using Hitachi Rail ticketing technology, the global provider of rail solutions will use its experience of digitally connecting millions of journeys daily to deliver a unique partnership with TfW.

Marie Daly, chief customer and culture officer at TfW said: “This exciting and ambitious project will deliver a digital solution that will help our customers plan point to point journeys using different

modes of public transport. It’s all part of our longer-term plans and aspirations to provide our customers with one network, one timetable and one ticket.”

MaaS solutions typically focus on urban areas; however, this partnership is pioneering because it will cover the entirety of Wales, including rural areas that are often overlooked for digital innovation. Equally, MaaS will make greener, low carbon travel easier to choose, plan and pay for. This will help accelerate green transformation within cities and the Welsh countryside.

Hitachi’s extensive expertise in digital systems integration was a key factor in being chosen

“It’s all part of our longer-term plans to provide our customers with one network, one timetable and one ticket” Marie Daly, Transport for Wales

to provide access to standardised, high quality data from the region’s private bus operators, enabling the authority to effectively understand the performance of the Welsh network in preparation for the launch of the franchised network between 2026 and 2028. This aligns with the transport authority’s goal to provide more sustainable, reliable, and punctual bus journeys, as outlined in the TfW 2024/2025 Business Plan. The plan emphasises TfW’s vision for the future bus network, aiming to create a fully integrated transport system with one network, one timetable, one ticket, and one team to encourage passengers to shift to more sustainable transport modes.

as TfW’s MaaS technology partner. Equally, Hitachi can call upon the Hitachi group’s digital expertise in AI and its Microsoft Azure framework agreement to ensure the system is always at the forefront of innovation, making it easy to integrate more modes of transport, expand coverage and meet growing demand.

Justin Southcombe, commercial director at Hitachi Rail said: “This strategic partnership with TfW will benefit from the breadth of mobility, digital and behavioural science expertise that exists in the Hitachi Group.

“Hitachi can combine the latest in cutting-edge digital technology, with deep knowledge of managing some of the world’s most popular transport systems, to better connect journeys.”

In May, Hitachi Rail completed the acquisition of Thales’ Ground Transportation Systems business, expanding the firm’s footprint to 24,000 employees across 51 countries. The deal has enabled Hitachi Rail to expand its portfolio, including enhancing its expertise in delivering smart mobility solutions.”

Brian O’Rourke, CEO and co-founder of CitySwift, commented:

“This strategic collaboration will support TfW as they prepare for the phased introduction of franchising between 2026 and 2028; we are excited to see our technology play a key role in this important phase of the transition.”

Through this partnership, CitySwift’s platform is providing Transport for Wales with accurate and reliable data insights on bus network performance across the region, having grown substantially from its initial pilot of five operators. With access to CitySwift’s performance data across the entire network, TfW can identify trends and pain points,

such as traveller destinations and service performance. This data provides bespoke insights into where future improvements could be made, benefiting schedulers, drivers, and passengers alike.

Lee Robinson, executive director for regional transport and integration at TfW, said: “Our goal is to create, develop, deliver and continually improve an integrated transport system for Wales, with the passenger at its heart. Through our work with CitySwift over the past three years, we are continuously working to achieve this goal. CitySwift’s vision for the future greatly aligns with our own, as we strive to promote the shift towards sustainable transportation.”

COMMENT

JONATHAN BRAY

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

The battle of ideas over the best way to provide public transport is effectively over. Even the last Conservative government had given up on advocating for bus deregulation or anything remotely like the original rail privatisation vision. The new Labour government is far more enthusiastic about reversing both than the last Labour administration. Hence the quickening pace at which rail, trams and buses in Great Britain are coming back into the public sector - with direct public operation to the fore for steel wheel modes.

Looking back bus deregulation was an early harbinger of the neo liberal period and rail privatisation one of its last full-throated hurrahs. Both were part of a much larger project where the objective was to break the power of organised labour in favour of the interests of organised wealth under the guise of the ‘marketisation’ of everything. The original objective of the wider neo-liberal project has now largely been achieved (though unusually the unions remain strong in the sector for industry specific reasons).

We are now in a new era where having efficient and effective public transport is seen as a key underpinning for economic growth in an era of ‘securanomics’. The appetite and rationale for propping up pretend markets for rail and bus has now largely evaporated. After all the former is now mostly run by some form of publicly-owned organisation (even if it is overseas owned) and buses became a

cosy, competition-averse, oligarchy long ago. Patience with the privatised railway’s periodic nervous breakdowns has also run out.

So in this new era the new big questions revolve around what public sector control and operation will look like in practice and whether the opportunities that are opening up will be fully realised.

‘Think big’ about rail

The current framing on rail reform is that this is a case of handing the railway back to industry professionals without all the tangled inefficiencies of privatisation getting in the way whilst simultaneously minimising day-to-day government interference. A more cohesive railway with less monetised interfaces and periodic nervous breakdowns is a good thing and long overdue. But if that is all we end up with then this risks nationalisation being a case of ‘meet the new boss, same as the old boss’ rather than an opportunity to think big - really big - about what a publicly accountable railway could be and do.

A similarly cautious approach was taken to rail nationalisation in 1948 where British

“The new big questions revolve around what public sector control will look like in practice”

Railways in its early years was run by many of those who ran the Big Four private companies that preceded it, who set about maintaining a geographically regionalised railway that looked backwards not forward. The governance, remit and senior appointments at British Rail ‘take two’ need to ensure that the railway doesn’t become introverted and its wider role in serving the social, economic and environmental needs of nations and their regions and places is reflected.

What could thinking big look like? It should start with what a public sector railway is going to look like and feel like to the travelling public. At present what you get in terms of branding, train spec and comfort and so on is at the behest of different operators with very little that says to the public that this service is publicly-owned or not. Instead shouldn’t a nationalised railway have a national intercity product which is consistent in terms of fares, train spec and service offer? We did it before with InterCity and many countries continue to do it - for good reason.

This in turn could align with a national rail development plan which should incorporate what’s left of HS2 and all the unanswered questions its hacking back left behind. It was always mad to promote HS2 as a separate entity - when in reality it formed the basis for a rewriting of the national network. Now is the opportunity to integrate the future of new domestic high speed rail routes with the rest of the network and how it presents itself.

Also due some big thinking is the track access charge regime (welcome as the recently announced temporary alleviation for new freight services is) which is a relic of the faking of markets era. The format for track access charges was deliberately designed to dump disproportionate costs on regional trains (which have the least impact on infrastructure) in order to give rail freight a chance (fair enough) and create artificially ‘profitable’ long distance services.

Make room for municipals

On bus, new legislation has begun the parliamentary process which hopefully will knock the rough edges off the 2017 Act to streamline the franchising process whilst allowing for municipal operation. However, it will be important to get this legislation through quickly (and its associated guidance)

“Making the most of it is going to require guile, strategic thinking, confidence and ambition”

to avoid the risk of blighting implementation on the ground (whilst local authorities wait for the legislation). In my experience (with some honorable exceptions), officials have been institutionally biased towards deregulation and have dragged their feet as much as possible on getting all the regs and guidance done (eg. the 2008 Local Transport Act and the 2019 Scottish buses legislation, which still hasn’t got all its regs and guidance in place).

The powers to create new municipals is a good move. However, new municipals would still have to operate in a deregulated environment (where franchising is not being pursued) and thus could be undermined by private sector operators concentrating on the most profitable corridors. Meanwhile in a franchising environment they would have to compete with private sector operators (some of whom may put in loss leader bids) and they may not win on price. If they do win it may be because they have had to cut back on quality. And even if they do win the first round of franchising they may not win the second round. The legislation should therefore allow for direct award by authorities for municipal operation, allowing the municipal to provide a locally accountable local bus service free from being undermined by

cherry-picking, on-street competition.

More thinking also needs to be done about the best formats for municipal operation given the mixed bag that is municipal operation. By and large owning local authorities have tended to be very hands off with their municipals - so they have all developed their own broadly commercial cultures. Is there a secret sauce behind why some of them are among the best bus companies in Britain? And to what extent can governance of the municipals better reflect the fact that they are companies that are locally-owned with a public service remit?

Away from the legislation the actual business of bringing bus services back under public control is happening on the ground. As bus franchising becomes more established the big questions for authorities are the pros and cons of a ‘plain vanilla’ approach to round one of franchising (in order to get something safely in place which can be built on later) or to look to be more innovative from the get go. Alongside this will be the tough choices about going for the cheapest bids for franchises or those where the bidder is motivated and offering quality at good value (even if it’s not the cheapest). After all we have seen many examples on rail franchising of the adage ‘if it looks too good to be true it is too good to be true’.

There is now an alternative

This is an industry which slants towards those looking backwards over their career and justifying what they did, and what they are used to, rather than those looking to the future and the scale of the opportunity that putting the public back into public transport opens up. On top of that the recent period of neo-liberalism hollowed out public sector capacity and confidence. For years it’s been a case of ‘there is no alternative’ to privatisation and deregulation. But now there is an alternative and we are starting to live it. Making the most of it is going to require guile, strategic thinking, confidence and ambition. And most of all looking forwards not backwards.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For decades Jonathan Bray has been at the forefront of making progressive change happen on transport - from stopping the national roads programme in its tracks in the 1990s to getting buses back under public control in the 2020s. He is an advisor to the Welsh Government on bus franchising and an independent advisor. www.jonathan-bray.com

Greater Manchester’s Bee Network is the first example of buses outside London being returned to public control

ALEX WARNER

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

“The bus should be like a referee - you shouldn’t notice it; everything should go smoothly. It should only be noticed when something goes spectacularly well or wrong. The bus is something that lets you live your life independently.”

So says Claire Walters, CEO of Bus Users UK, who is spending a month celebrating the joys of bus travel, organising over 100 events across the length and breadth of the country, and very well too - without a penny of funding!

As part of the frivolity, thrills and spills of September’s ‘Catch the Bus Month’, I caught up with Claire towards the end of her quest to do a full orbit of London’s Superloop network. We travelled from Heathrow to Teddington on a bus with great customer service - nice and clean too, slick, reliable and so quick that we had to find a pub for a coffee and coke in order to have enough time to catch up on her interesting career exploits and views.

Claire is 12 years into her stint at Bus Users UK and will go out on a high around a year from now, retiring at the climax of the 2025 Catch the Bus Month which will be the biggest, “most whopping ever”, also marking the 50th anniversary of Bus Users UK. The organisation has changed quite a bit, and not just in having moved away from its office right opposite my bedroom window in Shepperton. Today it is more than ever before heavily involved in all manner of strategic alliances, from BSIPs (Bus Service Improvement Partnerships) to those bringing together bus, coach, bike and train.

The Bus User’s UK supremo has had an interesting career. “Let’s just say eclectic, Alex,” explains Claire, before, as you do, hurriedly revealing that she has done all sorts from chalet girl to a consultant working in central eastern Europe in the early 1990s, being shot at, arrested and crossing closed borders in the middle of the night. It would take us a couple of spins of the entire Superloop to get to the bottom of that, not just Heathrow to Teddington, so I canter along and discover that prior to joining Bus Users UK she was running a credit union in East London but needed more employment stability and went for the job, but only after it was readvertised. She

recalls: “I didn’t go for it first time round as I thought, ‘why would they want me?’”

Shocked at landing the hottest job in Shepperton, Claire soon realised actually she had the right skillset: “In my credit union role, I was doing a lot of re-organisation work and so too in charity consultancy for 17 years before - finding out weak points in businesses and addressing them, so there was quite a bit of synergy actually.”

I remember Claire joining the industry at the time and I always thought she came across as a bit fearsome, like the headmistress you wouldn’t mess with. It can’t have been easy on reflection, a female in a predominantly male industry, championing the needs of customers.

“When I was at the Credit Union, I was a white minority but here [in the bus sector] everybody was male, white, age 55,” Claire recalls. “Yet, when you look at those driving the buses, that’s not the case - there was and still is, albeit to a slightly lesser extent, a distinction between the boardroom and front of the bus.

“Part of the problem is that we’re not engaging with the communities enoughdrivers are drawn from these communities, and more women use buses than men, but it is still a very male orientated sector.

“What isn’t diverse is the planning and people in charge. There needs to be active engagement. Hoping non-white people and women will come along isn’t going to move things forward. You have to work to make it happen. It’s changed a bit but there’s lots of work to be done - though that’s not my job - my job is to look after the interests of passengers.”

I probe a bit more: “You are definitely a bit fearsome and larger than life, it can’t have been easy.” To which Claire replies: “Look, I do have the odd diplomatic bone in my body. The vast majority of people in the bus industry take pride in providing a service to people. If you are pointing out it could be better and how, then that’s the best approach.

“We try and come up with solutions and work pro-actively with operators. We don’t come out to beat people over the head, we are collaborators really. We work in partnership with operators and if they have a problem they can come to us and discuss it in confidence.

“We have expanded our influence into quite a lot of areas - enhanced partnerships, franchises - we’re involved with local authorities. We work with other organisations

Myself and Claire Walters during our pleasant Superloop journey

“We don’t come out to beat people over the head, we are collaborators really”

on sustainable transport. When I first came in, the people who supported cycling projects or rail wouldn’t talk to bus people. It’s still not always the case now in terms of operators of different modes getting round the table, despite our best efforts. However, in terms of the organisations that promote them, we’ve formed a sustainable travel alliance.”

I ask Claire what she thinks has been the biggest improvement in the bus sector since she joined in 2012. She says she can see there has been a gradual shift in the approach towards driver recruitment and was struck in the early days by James Freeman’s then revolutionary stance of saying as Reading Buses CEO that he wouldn’t take on ‘bus people’ but retail folk. James used to say: “I can teach anyone to drive a bus but I can’t teach them how to be good at customer service.”

James, who always championed the role of bus drivers himself, is now driving buses for Stagecoach in Winchester, having joined the industry a year after Bus Users UK was created - a better role model you couldn’t find. Claire is concerned that a lot of those at the top in the bus industry are new to the sector and this has caused a disconnect.

“They’re always looking at a premium offer, price and looking flash,” she explains. “Most customers won’t give a stuff about branding - I know Ray Stenning will hate me for saying that. Passengers want a bus to take them where they want to go as swiftly, affordably and as accessibly as possible.”

I buck up the courage to joust back: “But won’t branding make them aware of buses?” She just replies cooly, raised eyebrows: “That’s the concept? Is it true? Does anyone ask them? Look Alex, Manchester spent a fortune on yellow paint, but haven’t sorted the buses out yet. They are doing it step by step but it’s confusing the hell out of people”.

Franchising is a thorny issue for Claire, but not because she doesn’t believe in it, she’s pretty ambivalent: “I’m like passengers in that I don’t really care, most think it’s still run by the council anyway. I come back to that referee analogy about a good bus service being one that isn’t noticed.”

Claire is more worried about “throwing the baby out with the bathwater”, particularly for instance in somewhere like the West Midlands, where the bus proposition has traditionally been very good.

“Our latest report for experiences of disabled people shows how important it is to live an uninterrupted life and the buses are the main driver of this. We can’t tamper with those places where the product is strong. One concern with franchising is there isn’t enough money set aside for it and if you are going to do it well, with all that money going to well-meaning consultants - and a lot of them don’t have transport experience and are not talking to us or to passengers ... I’m concerned we will throw baby out with the bathwater if we’re not careful.”

As someone who owns a consultancy that has been involved in advising on franchising and other strategic matters for the bus industry, I’m bristling now, but in truth Claire has a point.

If Claire is worried about franchising, she’s more vexed by the general lack of understanding by bus companies about how vulnerable people feel late at night.

She remarks: “We get so many horror stories of a lone young adult or teenager on a bus and then something happens that means the bus has to stop or go a different way and if they don’t announce that ... Really the industry should be doing better. It’s not just a young teenager, even a 25-year old or anyone for that matter can get anxious in a strange place with no idea how to get home. It’s pretty scary.”

Onto calmer matters and I ask Claire about the future of Bus Users UK, particularly with all this structural change in the sector. It’s a charity, so trustees determine what happens going forward and ‘the government has no say’.

“We’re independent and there to support passengers, so unless you invent some Star Trek teleporting scenario, then passengers will also be there and need someone to help them,” she says. “We’re currently involved with local authorities and see both sides of the fence, we are a statutory consultee on lots of things.”

I discover that Bus Users UK gets no more funding from the government than it did in 2013. “We deliberately don’t rely on one source of funding,” Claire tells me. “We get some from the industry, some funds are raised as a charity, local authority contributions as well - it’s a mish-mash.”

Away from Bus Users UK, Claire is the Cabinet Office-appointed disability and access ambassador for bus and coach and chair of various enhanced partnerships, alliance and BSIP boards. She’s not quite got as many roles as Greggs the Bakers, but Claire has certainly

got her hands full. It’s clear buses are in her blood belying, by comparison with many industry old-stagers, the relative recency of her working in the sector. She talks to me about the highlight of her Superloop sojourn being spending time with Roger French on the bus from Walthamstow to North Greenwich, “even if the journey went a bit Pete Tong, as the driver didn’t understand there were other superloops and just kept trying to send us back to Walthamstow”.

Claire and Roger aren’t dissimilar; she enjoys travelling around on buses for fun and living in my old stomping ground near Bromley we spend a few minutes discussing her favourite bus route - the 261 to Bromley town centre and Lewisham. She understands the rationale behind my Great Scenic Journeys venture and she speaks eloquently about her love of the 246 which is “most interesting for a half day outplanes on the runway at Biggin Hill, which is a place small enough to be cute, a quite nice pond in Keston, greenery and forestry”.

Time is pressing, she’s got another Superloop to get on, hopefully avoiding the traffic in Kingston, but not before we’ve looped full circle in our chat and she takes a picture of me holding, Kenny Everitt style, the very big foam hands that are now synonymous with Catch the Bus Month. Chalet girl to Catch the Bus champion, it’s been quite the career for Claire - and brace yourselves, because I suspect the remaining 12 months are going to be more entertaining than ever. There’s no way she will go quietly, which is great news for passengers.

Claire will certainly leave a super legacy and one can only wonder about the even bigger mark she’d have made on the bus industry had she not discovered it towards the denouement of her fascinatingly eclectic working life. We should let the bus be the ref on how things might have panned out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Warner has over 30 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector. He is co-founder of transport technology business Lost Group and transport consultancy AJW Experience Group (which includes Great Scenic Journeys). He is also chair of West Midlands Grand Rail Collaboration.

COMMENT

THOMAS ABLEMAN

Large organisations can become agile

Organisations struggle to make decisions, moving slowly and disconnecting from customers -

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 a lack of money. They’re caused by the fact that we are no longer able to make decisions.

Everywhere you look, organisations are becoming more bureaucratic and less agile. In both the public and private sector, firms (and the systems in which they are embedded) are struggling to make decisions, moving more slowly and gradually disconnecting from customers. The people working at the frontline are getting frustrated while the execs are overloaded.

During my time as director of strategy and innovation at Transport for London, I became fascinated by this problem. How come when you put great people into a corporate, it can feel like they become less than the sum of their parts?

I spoke with multiple transport organisations, globally. I visited Swiss Railways in Bern and Ruter in Norway to learn from the highest-performing in our industry, amongst many others. But I particularly spent time with organisations like Amazon and Google. We dismiss the tech giants because we see them simply doing software. Hold on! Amazon manages assets worth half a trillion (yes, trillion!) dollars, employs 1.5 million people and operates 100,000 vehicles. Amazon is the biggest transport operation

but it doesn’t have to be like this

on earth. Its world is our world: drivers, depots, assets, timetables, delivery, delivery, delivery.

Yet it has managed to retain agility and pace in its decision-making. How has this happened?

Well, the answer is that it (like the other startups that have become the biggest corporates on earth) has thought deeply about how to create an agile bureaucracy.

We should learn from it.

I set up a workshop for TfL directors to learn first-hand from Amazon how they’ve achieved this. My fellow directors absolutely loved it. The appetite for change is enormous. On another occasion, I remember a depot manager literally begging me to change the culture so that he could try new ways of doing things.

Luckily, a toolkit exists.

It’s not new

What was so interesting, from my perspective, was that the toolkit that Amazon has developed with such formality and care results in a remarkably similar working environment to one I’m very familiar with.

I spent seven years as commercial director of Chiltern Railways. During that seven years, as a team, we doubled revenue from £100m to £200m, built the first new rail link to London from any major British city, introduced the first rail ticketing app, launched the barcode ticketing that’s now universal, became the

first rail franchise to put Wi-Fi on trains, refurbished and reintroduced mkIII coaches, were the first train company onto Twitter, opened another new line with another new station, rebuilt our Birmingham terminus and upgraded our route.

It was a busy seven years but, here’s the weird thing, it was less effortful than getting smaller things done in a corporate environment.

Adrian Shooter, founder of Chiltern Railways, had, in effect, invented the Amazon model before Amazon. Except that he hadn’t invented it. Adrian actually modelled the culture and operating processes on SouthWest Airlines in Texas back in the early 1990s. It turns out these approaches have existed for a long time.

So if we know how to create agility and pace in an organisation, and it’s been proved to work in transport (i.e. Chiltern Railways) and it’s been proved to work at any scale (i.e. Amazon), then why aren’t we doing it?

Part of the reason is that we’re all too busy. And - boy - we are. But that’s another version of the paradox that saving time often requires spending time. An organisation in which the work is better distributed and decisions are faster will free up time.

Part of the reason is that it’s too easy to explain away why it’s possible elsewhere. Chiltern Railways is a self-contained franchise, Amazon is a startup, Ruter is Norwegian, etc. “These things work there but they won’t work here.”

Another reason – bluntly - is because it requires doing things differently, and most of us find that difficult.

Most of us either hail from a corporate background so are used to corporate ways or hail from a startup background - and stay in startups. It is only if, as I have, you have alternated entrepreneurial organisations and corporates right through your career that you realise the extent to which entrepreneurial organisations are getting faster not only because of technology but because of process.

That’s why I’ve created my new business, Freewheeling. At the moment, I’m mainly doing transport and mobility consulting but I’m gradually building it into a business offering what I’m calling Organisational Productivity Coaching. (I’m not settled on the name. By the time this goes to print, I may be calling it Business Agility Mentoring. Or

“If - together - we get it right, we end up with faster and better decisions”

something entirely different. The name is less important than the concept).

The idea is to provide organisations with both the methods and the mentoring to make it happen. Teaching the methods is crucial because we (humans!) already know how to achieve pace and agility, so let’s not reinvent the wheel. But just teaching methods is no good: this stuff is difficult. It’s more like fitting a kitchen than flatpack furniture: methods will need refinement and careful planning to install. Some methods won’t fit. Some won’t look good. Some will gleam. So the idea is to share methods openly with a leadership team and have an honest, constructive conversation about what could (and would not) work here.

That’s why it isn’t management consulting. The traditional ‘plan by powerpoint’ approach doesn’t work for this: its is about approaching the different methods with curiosity. “Will that work here?” “Will something like it work here?” “Does that inspire a different idea for something I can do here?”My role is to lead these conversations but not force the answers. If - together - we get it right, we end up with faster and better decisions, junior colleagues empowered and delivering and execs with much-needed time freed in their diaries for strategic thinking.

Why now?

This is a critical moment. After years of stasis, change is coming. Great British Railways is being created, train operation is being nationalised, combined authorities are getting muscular, new bus franchises are being rolled out. New public sector bodies will be contracting new delivery organisations. More new cultures are going to be created in the next five years than the last 20. Let’s make sure they’re the right ones.

We’ve had so many reviews of this industry, but they’ve all focused on organisational structure. Ultimately, reporting lines and ownership matters. But culture, processes, behaviours, decision-making matter too. Some of the most innovative transport organisations on earth sit in the public sector (Ruter in Oslo, SBB in Switzerland). Some stultifying bureaucracies exist in the private sector. The crisis of governance affects everyone. With so many balls being thrown in the air, now’s the time to ensure they land in a better place.

It’s not just us

If you recognise some of these characteristics, don’t worry, it’s not just you. In fact, it’s not just transport. It’s not even just the UK.

The last year has seen a flurry of books on this topic. The Geek Way describes Silicon Valley firms to highlight how different they are from the bureaucratic norm, Failed State highlights how centralisation and disempowerment has crippled the UK public sector, How Big Things Get Done describes how our standard models for major projects routinely result in delays and overspends, Mission-Driven Bureaucrats is a clarion-call to empower public sector managers, The Friction Project describes how (largely American private sector) bureaucracies unintentionally make their workers’ lives miserable.

All these books came out in the last 12

months. They tell the same story through different lenses: large organisations struggling to deliver outcomes. But the good news is that they all offer solutions. While the books are all different and the authors use different words, the solutions are consistent, and all similar to my own experiences and learnings.

I’m not promising this stuff is easy. I know it’s not. I’m not promising it’ll solve everything. It won’t. But we’re not going to solve our crisis of governance without it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thomas Ableman is the founder and CEO of Freewheeling. He was previously director of strategy and innovation at Transport for London and commercial director at Chiltern Railways.

FIVE THINGS YOUR ORGANISATION CAN

DO

ONE WAY DOOR/TWO WAY DOOR

Amazon categorises every decision as either a one-way door (once you’re through, there’s no coming back) or a two-way door (can be reversed). Governance should be much, much tighter for one-way doors than two-way doors. Without this categorisation, it’s easy for organisations to give every decision the same level of governance. Most currently do.

FAST ESCALATIONS

Entrepreneurial organisations push decisions to the lowest-possible level and make sure that the person closest to the customer feels accountable for the decision. But sometimes there’s conflict and it’s impossible for the person at that level to get the business to own the decision. In this situation, fast escalation to the top is crucial. Could your company have a weekly “escalations meeting”, in which anything that is acting as a blocker anywhere in the organisation can be escalated to the top for immediate, binding decision?

ELIMINATING BUREAUCRACY

Bureaucracy accumulates naturally like limescale in a kettle. It won’t be removed without scrubbing. Does your exec team schedule a regular bureaucracy cull, with the goal of actively killing processes every quarter? Could it?

‘CRISP PAPER AND A MESSY MEETING’

I love this quote from Jeff Bezos on what makes a good meeting. It is, bluntly, the opposite of most corporate meetings. Most corporate meetings start with a PowerPoint that most people haven’t read and is in bullet points which makes it capable of multiple interpretations. Then the priority of the meeting is ‘keeping to time’, which means that the paper isn’t subject to rigorous discussion. The result is that the meeting ends without anyone quite clear what, if anything, has been decided. How about we reverse it? If a paper is worth taking up peoples’ time for, it should be thorough, detailed, specific and in proper, unambiguous sentences. Then it should be read and debated in detail - and the meeting only closes when it’s been thoroughly discussed and everyone understands what has been agreed.

DISAGREE AND COMMIT

This is one of the Amazon leadership principles but I first heard it at Chiltern Railways. It’s a leadership norm that means that everyone should get their say, but there must always be someone responsible for making a decision and everyone must accept that once the decision is made, even if you disagree (which you should do vocally!), you then commit to the decision. It’s perfectly possible to make it a norm in your workplace: you just need to say it, mean it and stick to it.

COMMENT

NICK RICHARDSON

We need to bake in public transport

The new government is planning a housebuilding revolution, but it is imperative those new homes are plugged into public transport

The debate about new housing development, new settlements and their bus services continues with criticism of the planning system and how the principles of sustainable development become a reality. In many cases, sites promote car-dependency rather than what the government guidance requires. This results from a combination of loosely-worded guidance, an appeal-led system in which developers win permission to build what the government doesn’t want and the suppression of a vision- or plan-led system in which the rhetoric is appropriate but is overcome by a lack of genuine planning.

The dilemma

A radio interviewee was asked about a proposal to create a significant new town where he lives. His response was typical‘I’m not a NIMBY but we just don’t want it here’. The location in question at Tempsford is currently a small village next to the A1 road in Bedfordshire. However, it is also next to the East Coast Main Line and close to the likely route of East West Rail on the section between Bedford and Cambridge. Hence, the location is, in theory at least, well provided for by transport links. This provides a reasonable starting point, unlike those development sites where transport is an afterthought, except for car users who become locked into car dependency for generations. However, being close to core transport infrastructure doesn’t necessarily mean all is well. It would

require a new station replacing the long-gone facility on the main line linked to the east-west line, comprehensive bus services to connect to other places, and a coherent internal network that connects to the potential rail station. This passenger offer would need to be sufficiently attractive in comparison with the A1 dual carriageway and the route options it provides, even if they are busy already and likely to be congested regularly in future.

Timing is also important because it takes years to create new towns, and the travel behaviour of new residents is set in place from the outset. A classic example was Milton Keynes, next to the West Coast Main Line, which had a sign for years saying that Milton Keynes Central station would be located there. Regrettably, the station appeared long after much of the commercial and housing sites and is not particularly convenient for either; it does have a big car park, though, satisfying the needs of anyone using the dual carriageways that form the backbone for transport across the city. Building the city in this way has perpetuated car use, not alleviated it, and is a missed opportunity on a massive scale because serving it by passenger transport has proved difficult. It all stems

“There is a general consensus that much more housing is needed”

from the fact that designing places for cars is bound to marginalise passenger services and is challenging to remedy in view of changing circumstances. Converting half the road capacity in Milton Keynes to busways might be the best way out, but it seems unlikely to be popular given the alleged freedoms that carorientated residents have got used to.

Blaming the system

The rhetoric deployed by the new government suggests that the planning system is the cause of delays and problems in achieving new build sites. This is something of an easy target because it is government that sets the framework for development, i.e. the procedures required through the National Planning Policy Framework under which all Locals Plans sit, which has been amended regularly; the process for most development is overseen by the Planning Inspectorate which again has rules to follow. This arrangement has carried on for decades with Local Planning Authorities (unitary and lower tier authorities plus others such as National Park Authorities) deciding where and what type of development should be permitted. Trying to balance opposition against housing targets always proves problematic but consultation, time-consuming and adversarial as it is, is a requirement. If the system is at fault, the consultation process is probably the most challenging part in that it takes a long time and inevitably generates opposition to developments on a scale that outweighs support. Remembering that elected representatives ratify planning decisions, the democratic process can be controversial because decision-makers have to consider proposals often unpopular with the electorate. In extreme cases, government can override Local Planning Authorities, which often adds further opposition. Currently, the planning system is not plan-led as it should be but appeal-led in which developers are given permissions based on the interpretations of the relevant requirements. Hence, inappropriate developments in poorly accessible locations with poor designs are approved even though they do not reflect much of the current agenda.

There is general consensus that much more housing is needed, and it has to be located somewhere. The planning system can no

longer be used as an excuse for not developing appropriate sites. Complications of green belt, previously used sites and planning authority boundaries will persist but must be overcome. Part of this could be in designing housing sites that are not as inadequate as many have been recently, detached boxes with no sense of place or contribution to townscape or landscape, unimaginative and inviting car access. We need to shift the mindset away from ‘the sort of places where there will be bus users’ (otherwise known as ‘affordable housing’) to make services attractive enough for anyone to use, i.e. car users. It would be good to promote a decent range of residential units to suit all household types and not provide garages and driveways adjacent to houses everywhere. It isn’t what the market wants, it’s what developers want.

Enabling bus access

There is general agreement that the current arrangements could be better, particularly with regard to transport provision. In most cases, this means securing an appropriate level of bus service, which remains elusive. Some improvements are relatively straightforward, but a lot still depends on the acceptance that bus services are a necessity, not a marginal requirement. Without them, many developments cannot be considered as

sustainable. Hence, including bus services in any requirements, alongside capital works, is necessary. For larger sites, there is a case for the bus operator(s) to be statutory consultees to avoid the problems that arise when the planning authority, developers and allied interests decide what level of service is appropriate rather than those who are better placed to understand travel needs. After all, water companies and others can play a pivotal role but transport providers have no determining role over the location of development.

Where bus service franchising is in place, then the relevant local transport authority should be required to include development areas within their planned bus services. These should be in place from day one of a site, not later than when travel behaviours have become established. For clarity, there may be a need for thresholds, e.g., the number of houses on-site, the bus journey time to the nearest centre, and so on. The 400-metres to a bus stop measure that is often quoted is irrelevant because it provides no reassurance regarding level of service, times of operation, affordability or anything else. Also, a car will likely be four-metres from the front door, an alarming comparison.

For very large sites, consideration of proper bus infrastructure should be required. This

should be more than some token bus stops (many of which in practice are inadequate or poorly designed) and should demonstrate how bus services are being given priority in line with all the guidance that promotes this approach. If this means compromising the highway access arrangements, then so be it. This implies that developers have to pay for different items to those they have been used to both within and away from the site, not just highway mitigation (i.e. capacity increases) but prominent and effective bus infrastructure. This works - the Fastrack busway in north Kent has been doing this for yearsemphasising bus access rather than roads. In reviewing the National Planning Policy Framework and the way that Local Plans work, we anticipate changes that reflect transport policies. This could present some exciting opportunities for passenger transport. Let’s hope that a new emphasis on the importance of sustainable transport for development will become embedded.

for over 36 years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nick Richardson is chair of CILT’s Bus and Coach Policy Group and is a former chair of the Transport Planning Society. In addition, he has held a PCV licence

The Fastrack network in Kent offers high quality dedicated bus infrastructure to new developments

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

Claire Haigh Zemo Partnership

The world is on fire.

A record 15 national heat records have been broken so far this year. People are struggling with the fatal impacts of worsening extreme heat which is harming economies, widening inequalities and undermining the world’s development goals. We must step up our efforts. Transport is the fastest growing source of global greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions - especially from transport - will need to decline much more rapidly during this decade if the world is to get onto a safe trajectory.

For more than two decades Zemo Partnership has been at the heart of accelerating road transport decarbonisation in the UK. Later this year we will publish our Delivery Roadmap for Net Zero Transport, which will set out how to bring forward the investment and encourage the changes in behaviours needed to decarbonise the sector at pace.

The government and the sector must now work together to focus on delivery. A longterm vision and a strategy to reduce the cost of investment and underwrite risk is urgently needed. Delivering the UK’s emissions targets and realising the opportunities for green growth in transport must now be the priorities.

We must act swiftly

In 2019, the United Kingdom led the world’s major economies in setting a target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This target will drive ambitious changes in how we power our society and economy, heat our homes, factories, offices and schools, use our land, manufacture our goods and move around our communities, cities, and nations.

We should celebrate the UK’s global leadership on net zero and the progress that has been made so far, but there is still much

work to be done. Overall greenhouse gas emissions have fallen since carbon budgets were introduced in 2008. However, emission trends from transport have been largely flat and transport is the UK’s largest emitting sector. Moreover, having been a trailblazer the UK is now being outpaced by international competitors. A race is on to win the new green industries. We must move fast to seize the opportunities.

The economic imperative

We mustn’t get left behind in the global race. Through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the USA has committed more than $370bn in incentives and programmes to accelerate action on climate and energy. The EU has brought forward the Green Deal’s €600bn worth of investment. Germany and France have developed multi-billion euro funds to speed up the low carbon transition.

An ambitious industrial strategy would act as a catalyst for new technologies and innovation and bring jobs and manufacturing to the UK. McKinsey has estimated that supplying the goods and services to enable the global net zero transition could be worth more than £1 trillion to UK businesses in this decade. There are 20,000 net zero businesses across the UK, employing 840,000 people who earn, on average, almost £10,000 more than they would receive in other jobs. Workers in these industries are 1.7 times more productive than the national average.

The net zero economy is stronger and more productive in the UK regions, outside London.

“There are 20,000 net zero businesses across the UK, employing 840,000 people”

There are 20 ‘hot spots’ across the UK with significant net zero economies. These include the Tyneside/Teeside coast, South Yorkshire/ North Derbyshire, the Mersey River and Cambridgeshire.

More than zero emission vehicles

Transport is responsible for approximately a quarter (26%) of total UK emissions, making it the largest emitting sector of the UK economy. Just over half (52%) of the UK’s transport emissions come from cars.

Existing government policies for road transport decarbonisation focus on replacing the internal combustion engine with zero emission technology, primarily battery propulsion systems, but - in more limited applications - hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.

The adoption of zero emission vehicle technologies is necessary for delivering net zero transport, but it is by no means sufficient. It will take decades for the fleet to become fully electrified. Sustainable low carbon fuels have a vital role in decarbonising the existing ICE fleet.

Electric and (some) hybrid vehicles may be greener over the whole vehicle life cycle, but they create more greenhouse gas emissions during their production. Greater focus is needed to incentivise low carbon choices relating to the production phase as well as to encourage the recycling of key components such as batteries.

And we need a step change in the efficiency of passenger and freight movement - including a large-scale shift from private car use to sustainable transport.

Long-term strategic planning

It is critical for business and investor confidence that once the government sets targets these are maintained.

The decision by the last government to roll back on key targets such as the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans was highly damaging.

A clearer policy trajectory is needed for the decarbonisation of road freight. Battery electric trucks accounted for just half of one per cent of all new HGV sales in the first quarter this year. Sustainable low carbon renewable fuels provide an important near-term solution.

Greater policy certainty is required to build

on early momentum in zero emissions buses. We must move away from stop-start funding and establish a sustainable, long-term funding trajectory.

The UK is well placed to lead on coach decarbonisation. However, with less than 100 zero emission coaches currently on our roads the challenge seems insurmountable to operators, all the while technology options are limited and support from government is minimal. A net zero development roadmap is urgently needed for the coach sector.

Integrated economic alignment

We need a whole-systems approach that embraces the shift to digital connectivity, and the integration of transport with energy, planning, green finance and all the trip generating sectors of the economy, such as health, employment and education.

The integration of transport and energy is particularly critical. Policy across these areas must be fully aligned.

Climate change has been described as “the biggest market failure the world has ever seen”.

At the root of this is a failure to price properly for carbon. The time has come for an honest conversation about the role of pricing in encouraging greener travel.

Crucially, we need to look at new ways of paying for road use that replace lost fuel duty as the fleet electrifies. Unless we address the cost structures, we are baking in rising traffic growth and congestion.

Regional and local growth and delivery requires support

In this critical delivery phase, decisions on key infrastructure and investment will increasingly be made by the devolved administrations and local government across the nations and regions of the UK.

Greater progress on net zero can often be made through place-based solutions. It is often easier at a regional level to break down government silos and develop integrated strategies for transport, housing, skills and economic development.

We must ensure that local leaders are able to plan and invest for net zero on an integrated

long-term basis. The benefits are clear for regional growth with a real appetite from regional administrations to generate the momentum needed to stimulate their local economies.

Fairness in transition

Too many people are being left behind. The upfront cost of electric vehicles puts them out of reach for most consumers. Poor access to reliable public charging is another barrier.

The transition to net zero will see new green jobs created in some areas, such as zero emission vehicle manufacturing and infrastructure. But jobs and livelihoods will be lost in others.

The government and the transport sector should work together to ensure that those who face financial challenges are supported, and the benefits of a green economy transition are shared across communities.

An equitable approach will be essential to maintain public support for net zero.

Taking the public with us

Eight out of ten people in the UK are concerned about climate change, but there is no guarantee that the public will support net zero policies. Individual solutions may be perceived as too costly or inconvenient.

We need an informed national public conversation. Net zero must be presented as an opportunity to build a greener, more efficient transport system that creates industrial, business and export opportunities and which will drive prosperity to the UK.

It is vital that we sell the benefits. The net zero transition will mean cleaner air, better public health, less congestion on our roads, improved public transport, enhanced energy security, and a stronger, more resilient UK economy.

This is our chance to build a cleaner, fairer, safer future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claire Haigh was appointed as executive director of Zemo Partnership in January 2024. She joined Zemo from Greener Vision where she was the founder and CEO. Greener Vision is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to encouraging the switch to a greener future

The UK is well placed to lead on coach decarbonisation

Go-Ahead operates over 1,100 zeroemission buses, either in service or on order

Go-Ahead leads global charge to decarbonise public transport

Group outlines the progress it has made towards rolling out zero-emission buses and infrastructure

The world faces a critical climate challenge that requires immediate action. As a leading global public transport operator, Go-Ahead recognises the vital role that public transport plays in reducing emissions, enhancing air quality, and improving public health.

Transport accounts for just over a quarter of the UK’s emissions, making it a key player in the journey to net zero. This involves not only decarbonising our fleet - both bus and rail - but also encouraging a shift from private vehicles to public transport. Together, public transport can make a meaningful and rapid impact on reducing emissions.

Go-Ahead is at the forefront of the zeroemission bus transition. Over the past decade, we have pioneered this movement with the UK and Europe’s first all-electric bus garage at Waterloo in central London. As our experience

has grown, with zero-emission bus operations now covering 19 depots across our UK and international geographies, so has our fleet. We operate over 1,100 zero-emission buses, either in service or on order, encompassing both battery electric and hydrogen fuel types.

From London to Manchester, Newcastle to Brighton, Oxford to Singapore, we are rolling out zero-emission buses across our network and working closely with local authorities on the transition. A great example

“We plan to invest £550m over the next three years to advance our zeroemissions bus operations”

of this is the award of funding support from the Department for Transport (DfT) for the introduction of 201 zero-emission buses in Regional UK as part of the Zero-Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.

Looking ahead, we are accelerating our decarbonisation agenda with a goal to achieve a UK-wide zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. We plan to invest £550m over the next three years to advance our zero-emissions bus operations, including the acquisition of 1,200 of the latest generation zero-emission buses and installation of charging infrastructure at our depots.

We are uniquely positioned to leverage our leadership, expertise and innovation to share best practices and accelerate transition to net zero – a challenge we are eager to lead.

THE JOURNEY TO NET ZERO GO-AHEAD GROUP

GO-AHEAD’S DECARBONISATION JOURNEY FROM INCEPTION TO CURRENT DAY

LEADING THE WAY IN LONDON

Our net zero journey began in 2013 with the trial of the first modern electric bus in England, in partnership with Transport for London. More than a decade later, we are London’s largest operator of zero-emission buses with more than 600 currently in operation. We have continued to drive electric bus innovation in London. Our Northumberland Park depot features one of the largest overnight charging facilities in the UK with capacity for over 100 vehicles, while our Bexleyheath depot boasts rapid-charging pantograph technology, providing fast, highpower top-ups for our bus fleet.

Our decarbonisation journey in London has been a catalyst for similar achievements across Go-Ahead. This includes the launch of our Zero-Emission Centre of Excellence, which consolidates expertise from our bus operations worldwide to develop best practice in purchasing, operating and maintaining zero-emission buses, managing battery life, and training drivers.

AWARD-WINNING ALL-ELECTRIC CITY IN OXFORD

In Oxford, Go-Ahead was part of a multioperator partnership that created an ‘all-electric’ bus city with 104 zero-emission buses. This initiative is set to save over 4,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually and eliminate more than 35,000 litres of diesel usage each week. Working with the local authority, we have fostered a safer, cleaner, and greener environment for our customers.

Accompanying the introduction of zero-emission buses are traffic filters that will improve bus journey times in the city by at least 10%. Each electric bus significantly benefits the environment by producing zero tailpipe emissions, reducing harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides and particulate matter. By reducing these emissions, our fleet in the city now contributes to cleaner air and a healthier environment. A recent air quality report from the local authority in Oxford revealed that emissions from buses have decreased by half with our fleet contributing less pollution than cars in the city centre.

In June 2024, this groundbreaking commitment was recognised with the Transport Project of the Year award at the UK Green Business Awards.

NEW INITIATIVES IN MANCHESTER

In partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester, we deployed 50 zero-emission buses across the Bee Network in the past 12 months. This partnership has been crucial in developing an integrated, innovative, and environmentally friendly bus network, allowing Greater Manchester to specify routes, service levels, and fares, ultimately enhancing passenger outcomes.

PARTNERSHIP WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Achieving our net-zero targets relies on partnership. By developing innovative solutions with local authority partners and suppliers - such

as using solar panels on our buses in the south of England and Singapore - we harness power to generate electricity, reduce carbon emissions and lower fuel and maintenance costs.

We will always focus on the environmental benefit for our customers, people and the communities we serve, all of which are the heart of what we do everyday.

We are proud of our success in the zeroemission bus transition to date and recognise that there is significant progress still needed. We are committed to leading the transition to net zero and look forward to continuing to play our role as a leader in zero-emission transport.

We have helped to make Oxford an ‘all-electric’ bus city

Our net zero journey began in London in 2013

SPECIAL REPORT CLAIRE MILES

Miles motivated to make buses better

Group chief executive Claire Miles told Young Bus Professionals how she plans to revolutionise Stagecoach’s approach to customers

Stagecoach’s recent evolution is, in many ways, symptomatic of much that has gone on with the UK’s major transport groups over the last few years, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic. A stalwart of the London Stock Exchange, the Perth-based group initially entered into talks with National Express Group, now, of course, better known as Mobico, about a potential acquisition in late 2021. However, just months later, when it looked like the deal with NEG was all wrapped up - so much so that to bystanders it seemed that everyone had decided which office they were going to get at the merged transport giant - Stagecoach’s board succumbed to a rival £600m offer from infrastructure investment manager DWS in early 2022. That deal closed in May 2022.

Management changes

DWS’s acquisition of Stagecoach saw some significant changes in senior management. Stalwart Stagecoach chief executive Martin Griffiths announced his decision to retire in early 2023, a move the group said reflected the “evolution of the business from a global listed PLC to a UK private company.” Chief financial officer Ross Paterson also quit, and while Carla Stockton-Jones initially stayed on to lead dayto-day operations as UK managing director, she, too, left the group in the summer of 2023. It was into that vacuum that Claire Miles was parachuted as chief executive last October. A respected senior manager with a glowing CV across various business sectors, including chief executive of Yell, various managing director roles at Centrica and a small portfolio of non-executive directorships. On her appointment, she noted that she aimed to “build a highly successful, customercentred business” at Stagecoach, a business she

acknowledged had an “impressive track record of delivering brilliant outcomes for customers and stakeholders”.

Since joining the group, Miles has flown beneath the radar as she got to grips with a now UK-centric transport business that spans from the Shetland Islands to Cornwall. In her one major interview since her appointment - with The Times - Miles acknowledged the strength of the Stagecoach brand but said she was keen to ditch some of the baggage that has dogged the group for many years, specifically the controversies that have at times surrounded group co-founders Sir Brian Souter and Anne Gloag. “I am absolutely determined, going forward, that we will show up as a different type of company,” she said. “Non-political. Non-judgmental. Embracing openness and diversity. All of that is really important to me and that is how I will run the business.” When asked whether she had spoken to either of the group’s co-founders, the interviewer received a curt “no”.

But almost a year on from her appointment, Miles took time out from her busy schedule last week to speak to the Young Bus Professionals (YBP) network at its meeting in the Stagecoach heartland of Cambridge. She noted that she was now well on the way to being a “bus nerd” and was passionate about the industry she had discovered in the preceeding 11 and a half months.

A focus on the customer Miles lives in Twickenham, West London with her two teenage sons, but her office is in Stockport. She also aims to get out to at least one Stagecoach depot somewhere in the UK

“Service provision has been a constant throughout my career”

at least once a week. “My life is pretty busy,” she joked. “I have to be extremely organised, but I’m fortunate to have the support to make it happen.” She admitted she never expected to end up working in the bus industry and was impressed at the strong show of hands Miles received when she asked the YBP members present who would have thought they would end up working for a bus company when they were at school. “I never did,” she admitted. “When people asked me what I wanted to be when I was older, I would say French because I had no clue and I thought being French would be incredibly glamourous. Despite that I’m incredibly happy to be here. I’m very proud to be at Stagecoach and very proud to be helping and supporting the people of Stagecoach to do what we do every single day.”

Miles was born in the North East of England and after growing up in Yorkshire, she studied

Miles: ‘I feel wildly connected to what we do as an industry’

Andrew Garnett Deputy Editor

“It’s really improtant to me that we become better at understanding the people we carry on our buses”

mathematics at Aston University before starting a career in financial services where she helped start credit card brand Marbles. She then moved to Centrica where she spent a decade in a variety of roles before moving to Yell as chief executive.

“This is my fourth industry, in effect,” she noted. “What has been completely common across all of them is they are service industries with end consumers. Service provision has been a constant throughout my career, so really understanding how a customer experiences your product and do they like it enough to come back and continue to pay for it? Over the years I have become obsessed with customer insight and customer sentiment and improving customer experience. I firmly believe that if you don’t provide for the customer, then they are not going to come back. It’s really improtant to me that we become better at

understanding the people we carry on our buses.”

Miles expressed her genuine surprise at how little the bus industry understood its customers, noting it was striking that a sector serving millions of people each year had such limited insight into who those customers actually are. “We don’t know who they are and we don’t know their demographics,” she said. “We don’t know their usage, we don’t know why they are using us, we don’t know how they feel about that experience. That’s the level of insight that every other industry does have. If you know who they are you can build a relationship with them, you can build a better experience. That’s the standout difference to me. That anonymity of the customer is, to me, completely alien, but I think that means there’s also an enourmous opportunity for us to do better.”

Would you eat your own dog food? However, she said she felt that the skills she had amassed throughout her career had led to her current role. “What I do or what the company does has to matter,” Miles explained. “It has to be important, and I must have an emotional connection to do my best work. I have been involved in different industries, and I have managed different products and services. Sometimes I’ve found it difficult to connect emotionally with what we do and its importance. Sometimes, I’ve struggled with the thought, ‘Would I buy this?’ There’s a phrase some technologists say - ‘would you eat your own dog food?’ In other words, would you buy your own product? I’ve learnt over time that if I can’t eat my own dog food then I should not work at that company. I feel wildly connected to what we do as an industry [at Stagecoach] - my kids go to school on the bus, I use the bus every day, and my dear old mum’s life would be over without the bus network of Durham. It is so important, and I feel completely motivated to get up every morning and do what we do.”

She said that day-to-day service delivery, particularly the key performance indicators where a one percent improvement in performance can really make a difference for the customer naturally sparked her interest, perhaps due to her background in mathematics. “But I also need to be in a business where there is change or transformation,” Miles added. “We certainly have that in spades. When I joined the business 12 months ago, I did not appreciate how much change would go through our industry. Someone told me earlier this week that they’d never known so much unpredictability or ambiguity as in our business today. Whether it’s the government, the Buses Bill, the potential for franchising or what will happen with the fare cap, everything in our industry represents uncertainty. You have to be happy with ambiguity to enjoy periods like this, but there are massive opportunities too.

“So how do you continue to deliver growth and fantastic service, represent a smart choice for travel, get people out of their cars, deliver modal shift while greening the fleet, and deal with political interventions that could lead to a massive change to the commercial model via franchising? There’s a lot going on, but it’s really good, and I find that really exciting.”

SPECIAL REPORT CLAIRE MILES

Advice for the next generation Miles encouraged young people in the sector to work hard. “Hard work does pay off,” she said. “I don’t mean put the hours in for the sake of it, but play your part. One of my strong values is ownership and be accountable for your part in the overall jigsaw. Work hard, don’t let the team down, do your bit and your results will be recognised. I’m a very old fashioned believer in that.”

Miles said she had always strived to put herself outside her comfort zone in her career, firstly to learn new skills, but also to ensure she was seen by a new ‘audience’. “That got me a long way,” she said. “People saw me in a different light and they saw I was more capable than the stereotype of the role where I came from. Always put your hand up.”

She said she had always been focused on climbing the ladder, but there was also no shame in moving sideways. Miles recounted that earlier in her career she had been asked to do a job that she had no interest in, but she was talked into doing it as long as it was a finite period. “You know it was brilliant,” Miles added. “It made me rounder in terms of my skills and adaptability. My career went faster too as it improved my skills. That side-step, which I didn’t want to do, just made my career accelerate.”

Miles said it was always important to seek feedback on performance and argued a mentor from outside the industry you are working in was invaluable. She also urged YBP members to have fun at work. “You have to laugh and not take yourself too seriously along the way,” Miles added. “We do a lot of serious stuff, but you’ve got to enjoy it too. The moments I remember from my career are when it has been dark times when you’re really in the shit, when you’re in your bunker with your team thinking, ‘Just how are we going to get out of this?’ And then you start laughing and can’t stop. You will remember those momentsand I’ve had a few of them - forever. That’s how you build real friendships, and you build camaraderie.”

Planning pays dividends

One YBP member asked Miles how she managed to balance her professional career with home life, sharing that she herself had struggled to stay on track while raising three young children. Miles acknowledged that it

“I have to plan my life in 30-minute windows, months in advance”

wasn’t easy and, like many parents, she lived with the constant fear of “not doing any of it well”. She admitted: “The only way to keep the wheels on is planning. I am possibly the most organised person I know. I have to plan my life in 30-minute windows, months in advance. If you look at my calendar, it’s like that seven days a week. I travel a lot because of the job; we are a national company, I live in Twickenham but my office is in Stockport - it’s not exactly handy... it’s crackers really, but it’s just about organisation, and you need a network around you to help. My kids love talking and learning about what I do. And they wouldn’t live the life they do if I didn’t work as hard as I do. So, it’s an investment in planning

and organisation to make it all work.”

Another YBP member asked Miles about her vision for the future of the industry. She reiterated that it was strange the sector lacked a meaningful relationship with its customer base. Drawing a comparison to the energy market - a purchase most people begrudge, as no one enjoys paying their energy bills - she pointed out that, despite this, the energy sector has an extensive understanding of its customers’ needs and preferences.

Miles continued: “The more we can do to get customers to buy digital tickets the more we can start a relationship with them, or use the onboard technologies that electric vehicles will present to recognise who is getting on the bus and where they are going, there is lots of opportunity. It could create a mountain of customer data. We can then develop real marketing and that’s a muscle this industry doesn’t have. Every other industry has it. We should have it too.”

Miles joined Stagecoach in October 2023 from Yell

GREAT MINSTER GRUMBLES

A new dawn for buses? Time will tell

Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the DfT

So, we’ve fired the starting gun on the government’s bus franchising reforms, laying a statutory instrument before parliament which has the effect of extending the status of “franchising authority” to all local authorities in England. But that’s all it does. Non-mayoral authorities still need to get the approval of the secretary of state in order to make an assessment of a proposed franchising scheme, which mayoral authorities do not, as this requirement can only be changed by primary rather than secondary legislation. This will happen, of course, when we introduce the Buses Bill later in this parliamentary session.

But what’s the rush to make this single, and in all practical terms, modest change? No non-mayoral authority is suddenly going to rush ahead with new franchising proposals as a result of this change, not least because they almost certainly don’t have the necessary resources, both in terms of manpower and funding, to do so. Why not wait until we are ready to introduce the main Buses Bill before making this change? There’s nothing wrong with the statutory instrument in itself as it puts effect to one legislative change that the Labour Party has always said it wanted to make. It’s just a bit of a waste of time, not least because the statutory instrument is subject to the affirmative resolution procedure and must therefore be debated in parliament - a debate, however, that need take up no more than about five minutes of a committee’s time.

I can only conclude that our secretary of

state, Louise Haigh, was keen to be seen to be pressing ahead with Labour’s bus reforms “at pace”, which to a degree she can now do. She can now get some positive headlines for getting on with the government’s bus franchising reforms. It’s a bit of gesture politics. No harm in that, of course, and “gesture politics” is something that all governments can be accused of from time to time.

But none of this removes the obvious elephant in the room, and I doubt the Buses Bill will either when that comes along.

Funding. In her statement to the Commons on September 9 when the statutory instrument was laid, our secretary of state described the change that it makes as “transformative”.

I think that’s stretching the definition of “transformative” somewhat. Yes, it is an important change, but in the absence of extra funding, I can’t see it, or indeed the changes that will be made by the Buses Bill, being “transformative”.

It’s important to say that in Greater Manchester, franchising is said to have increased bus patronage by 5%. That’s good, of course. But I wonder what the total cost of introducing bus franchising in Greater Manchester was, and what it’s costing the

combined authority to run. Does a 5% increase in patronage represent good value for money?

Ministers have acknowledged that bus franchising may not be the right option for every authority - a slight change from their position when in opposition when they said they wanted to see franchising extended to every community in the country. But surely the reality is that in the absence of extra funding most authorities in the country are going to struggle to maintain existing networks, let alone grow patronage.

The government could doubtless claim that its bus reforms will be “transformative” - if the funding is made available. But in the absence of extra funding I’m just struggling to see how franchising, in itself, will change much. Yes, Greater Manchester has seen a 5% increase in patronage, but at enormous cost. London’s regulated market has benefited from significant subsidy, and patronage has not always increased - indeed, in some years it has actually gone down.

Are we on the brink of a new dawn for the bus industry, or in time will the government’s reforms be seen as little more than tinkering with structures with little material impact on patronage? From a political perspective, this government is, in a sense, merely taking the previous government’s policies to a next stage.

The Conservative government had already embraced the concept of franchising far more happily than had historically been the case, although admittedly had not proposed the degree of actual reform that this government is now implementing.

But a new dawn? Time will tell, and I’m open to persuasion. But right now I’m not holding my breath, not because the reforms are wrong or bad but because until that elephant in the room is dealt with I can’t persuade myself that we are suddenly going to see that transformation our secretary of state has claimed. If the chancellor opens up her cheque book then things may be different - a lot different - but unless and until she does I wonder if these reforms will make much difference in practical terms.

“But none of this removes the obvious elephant in the room, and I doubt the Buses Bill will either when that comes along. Funding”

EVENTS EUROPEAN MOBILITY EXPO

Strasbourg is ‘obvious choice’

Traditionally held in Paris, next month’s EuMo Expo show will take place in a new venue

In a change from its traditional venue, the 11th edition of European Mobility Expo (EuMo Expo) will be held in Strasbourg from October 1-3 2024. 11,000 visitors are expected to attend this go-to European event for professionals working in sustainable mobility and public transport.

France’s Transportation Authorities Group (GART) and its Public and Rail Transport Union (UTP), the international union of public transport (UITP) and show organisers GIE Objectif transport public decided to hold the 2024 edition in Strasbourg to sidestep any potential issues with hosting major events in the Paris region in the wake of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Marc Delayer, chairman of GIE Objectif transport public, explained: “We looked for an attractive alternative venue, at the heart of Europe and highly committed to an ambitious mobility policy. As one of the EU capitals and the seat of autumn sessions of the European Parliament, Strasbourg was the obvious choice.”

Eurométropole Strasbourg

Eurométropole Strasbourg is ideally placed to host the major event. “We’re honoured and delighted to be welcoming

this European event bringing together localities that are firmly committed to mobility - all the more so in that Eurométropole is itself committed to development, adaptation and innovation on a daily basis for mass transit and changing mobility practices,” said Pa Imbs, president of Eurométropole Strasbourg.

“Our European Metropolitan Express Network serves our entire territory, backed by a tram network that is in the process of being thoroughly redeveloped.”

Strasbourg boasts one of the best-performing networks in France - a source of inspiration for professionals in a number of countries across Europe. It has the densest tram network in France (which is also a crossborder network, reaching into Germany), as well as having one of the country’s largest city-wide cycle networks and a pedestrian master plan that promotes shared public space and seamless modal interaction.

Served by the TGV-Est and Rhine-Rhône high-speed lines, Strasbourg is also a European rail interchange and the first city in France outside the Paris region to be developing a city- wide express rail network. Eurométropole

Strasbourg will be able to show off all these assets to professionals attending the event.

Accessible by tram, the new Exhibition Centre designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma is an ideal venue to host the 2024 edition of EuMo Expo.

Exhibition and talks

The three-day event will bring together almost 11,000 participants: politicians and policy-makers from local authorities, operators, business leaders and others from across Europe to find out all about the latest innovations and news, with discussions and networking taking place in a relaxed but business-like atmosphere. Manufacturers, startups, operators and businesses working in energy, engineering, passenger information systems, ticketing, and active mobility will all be represented among the 250 or so French and international

exhibitors expected at this flagship event. Those present include Daimler–Mercedes-Benz, Ebusco, Keolis, Otokar, RATP Dev, Solaris, SNCF, Transdev and others. Over 30 new exhibitors are joining EuMo Expo this year. Experts from France and across Europe will meanwhile be getting together to discuss the concerns of mobility authorities and operators, and visitors will also be able to attend some 15 talks (admission free). Two Agora venues also offer exhibitors an opportunity to present their innovations. French-English translation is available for all talks and presentations.

For

“An attractive alternative venue, at the heart of Europe and highly committed to an ambitious mobility policy”

Marc Delayer, chairman of GIE Objectif

Guest city of honour: Vienna

Austrian capital Vienna and its transport network Wiener Linien will be the guests of honour at EuMo Expo 2024. Vienna prides itself as being a pioneer in sustainable mobility. Major renovation of public transport over the past few decades, encouraging walking and cycling and investments in

EVENTS WITHIN THE EVENT!

Several awards ceremonies will be taking place during the three-day event to honour individuals in the industry. They are also an opportunity for visitors to expand their networks in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT INNOVATION AWARDS

Reserved for exhibitors, the Public Transport Innovation Awards honour technology innovations and new services developed by exhibitors across four categories: Energy and the Environment, Operating and Ticketing Systems, ITS, Passenger Information and Services, and Accessibility, Fittings, Facilities and Design. The winners will be announced on October 1 at 5.15pm at the Talks venue in Hall 1.

SMART MOVE CHALLENGE

The Smart Move Challenge rewards startups with promising and especially innovative ideas that are looking for their first market.

The contest serves as a springboard for winning startups, giving them extensive opportunities for contacts with innovation directors from leading companies in the sector and visibility throughout the mobility ecosystem. Startups can enter in three categories: Resources and Services for Users, Resources and Services for Local Authorities, and Resources and Services for Operations.

Startups will be making their pitches at EuMoExpo on October 3 from 9.30am onwards at the Agora 2 venue (Hall 3); the Smart Move Challenge 2024 closing ceremony will take place at 12 noon in the Talks venue (Hall 1).

THE EUROPEAN TALENT IN MOBILITY AWARDS

The European Talent in Mobility Awards honour and recognise women and men working to improve public transport throughout Europe.

The jury is made up of journalists from the European trade press, including Robert Jack of PassengerTransport, and will convene to decide on the winners in four categories: Best Young Talent, Best Project Manager, Best Manager, and the Special Career Service award. Meanwhile on the exhibition website, anyone can vote for their favourite candidate for the 2024 Web Users’ award.

The contest is a great opportunity to recognise the skills, achievements and commitment to sustainable development of individuals within the sector. The awards ceremony will be held in the Talks venue in Hall 1 at 3.30pm on October 2.

innovative solutions have been combined to create a Viennese mobility system that’s geared to the future and increasing modal share. Over the coming years, the City of Vienna is seeking to go further still, aiming to become carbon-neutral by 2040.

Visitors can interact with representatives of Wiener Linien on stand 42 in Hall 2.

11,000 visitors are expected to attend this go-to European event

The Talent in Mobility Awards

First Bus welcomes its next generation intake

A total of 36 new engineering apprentices have begun their careers as part of the First Bus scheme with a special day at Cheshire training college

First Bus has welcomed 36 new engineering apprentices to its training academy at Reaseheath College in Cheshire, the UK’s first dedicated bus and coach engineering facility.

The apprentices, from both England and Scotland, will be trained in bus engineering, with English students based at Reaseheath and four Scottish apprentices attending GTG College in Glasgow.

The programme began with an induction, including teambuilding activities and a talk from First Bus director of engineering excellence, Chris Remnant, followed by a tour of the facility.

First Bus launched the engineering academy in partnership with Reaseheath College in 2021. The facility provides a hands-on learning

environment, replicating real depot conditions to help apprentices smoothly transition from training to the workplace. Apprentices work with replica equipment during their studies to prepare them for real-life challenges as bus engineers.

A significant focus of the programme is training on hybrid vehicles, reflecting the industry’s shift toward sustainable transport. This ensures apprentices are equipped with the necessary skills to work on modern fleets and

“There are lots of exciting opportunities within First Bus”

Chris Remnant

contributes to First Bus’s efforts to future-proof its business.

Graduates of the programme have already moved into full-time engineering roles within the company. The apprenticeship also offers an ‘earn while you learn’ model, with a support package for students during their training.

“If you want to be an Apprentice Engineer within the bus industry, First Bus is the place to be,” said Remnant. “Our apprentices begin their careers in an environment where they can flourish and learn. The sky really is the limit and there are lots of exciting opportunities within First Bus. Some might choose to move into management and some will become specialists. The academy is industry-leading and the partnership we have with Reaseheath College is second to none.”

FIRSTGROUP

FirstGroup has announced the appointment of Lena Wilson as the group’s new chair. She will take on the role from February 1, 2025. Wilson (pictured) is an experienced director and chair having held roles on listed and private companies for over a decade, serving on the boards of Scottish Power Renewables Limited and Intertek Group and chairing AGS Airport. Wilson was chief executive of Scottish Enterprise from 2009 to 2017 and prior to that, was a senior investment advisor to The World Bank in Washington DC. She succeeds former Arriva chief executive David Martin, who stepped down from the role and the FirstGroup board earlier this month.

GOVIA

THAMESLINK RAILWAY

Govia Thameslink Railway has announced that John Gerrard has been appointed as its chief finance officer. He will take on the new role in November.

Gerrard (pictured) is currently lead finance director at Great British Railways Transition Team (GBRTT). Within GBRTT he has also been a member of the fares, ticketing and rail reform Programme Board providing support and steer. He has also held a number of senior roles during 15 years at Network Rail. Ralph Pidsley, GTR’s current CFO, retired earlier this month. He joined GTR in 2022 has been instrumental in supporting GTR’s recovery following the global pandemic.

The First Bus 2024 engineering apprentice intake

DIVERSIONS

Manny a ‘hidden hero’ for rail safety role

Guardian of the community takes safety to schools

A railway safety manager from Wolverhampton is being hailed as a guardian of the community as part of Network Rail’s new ‘Hidden Heroes’ campaign. Manny Kang, who has worked in the rail industry for 23 years, is being recognised for his rail safety education work. Kang, now a community safety manager, has given safety talks to around 18,000 children in 118 schools, teaching them how to stay safe around trains and tracks. He’s

LIONESS LINE ON THE RIGHT FOOT

Transport for London teamed up with the Regent’s Park Youth League and Middlesex FA Pan-Disability League to host a football festival earlier this

one of four national ‘hidden heroes’ featured in the campaign, which shines a spotlight on the oftenoverlooked roles of railway workers. Despite rail workers being crucial to keeping passengers and freight

moving, a public survey by Network Rail found that only 7% of West Midlands respondents rated them as the most important key workers. Health and social care topped the list, with nearly half of respondents admitting they didn’t fully understand the responsibilities of railway staff.

Network Rail’s Hidden Heroes campaign aims to change that perception and highlight the wide range of jobs within the rail industry that help ensure public safety and keep the railway running smoothly.

“For me, looking after people isn’t just part of the job - it’s my top priority,” said Kang.

BIRMINGHAM BUS ROUTE MILESTONE

month, celebrating the upcoming rebranding of the London Overground route between Euston and Watford Junction as the ‘Lioness Line.’

The event had a special guest appearance from former Lioness Ellen Maggs, who surprised the young footballers, handing out trophies and offering words of encouragement.

A highlight of the day was a match featuring players from the Middlesex FA Pan-Disability League, refereed by TfL’s own Surekha Griffiths, who was

recently named FA Grassroots Official of the Year. Surekha was recognised for her work refereeing disability and youth football matches across London.

“It’s been an honour to be part of this special event to mark the London Overground Lioness Line and to see so many young footballers come together to encourage more people to take up sport,” said Griffiths. “The Lioness Line will forever remind us of that special moment in 2022 which made sporting history and will inspire generations to come.”

National Express West Midlands wants to hear tales from the top deck as the Route 50 bus celebrates a big milestone. Next month the iconic Birmingham bus route from Druids Heath to the city centre turns 75 years old. To mark the occasion, the bus operator is calling on anyone with fond (or funny!) memories of the 50 to share their stories - whether it’s a daily commute, a memorable ride, or even a chance encounter.

“It is a vital part of daily life for a lot of passengers along the route and we’d love to hear their recollections,” said NXWM director Catherine Woolfe.

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Manny of many talents

Surekha aims to tame tomorrow’s Lionesses!