The government reaffirmed its commitment to revitalising Britain’s bus network with the forthcoming Bus Services Bill and £1 billion of new investment on 25 March, when Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood took part in a driver challenge event in Essex.
Organised by First Bus, the ‘Battle of the Buses’ event pitted Minister Lightwood against Essex County Cricket Club all-rounders Matt Critchley and Paul Walter in a timed driving skills challenge designed to showcase the rigours of bus driver apprenticeships. Mr Lightwood and co navigated real-world manoeuvres including reversing, roundabouts and precision turns.
Speaking to routeone, Mr Lightwood says the day highlighted to him the importance of ensuring that training is done well, as it sets the foundations of a future career and plays a role in attracting the next generation of future drivers.
Piers Marlow, Managing Director of First Bus East of England, comments: “This is a fantastic and fun challenge for our partners at Essex County Cricket and the Department for Transport, but it also highlights the incredible skill required to be a bus driver.
“At First Bus, we place a huge emphasis on training to ensure our drivers are equipped with the expertise and confidence to navigate our roads safely and efficiently. Events like this help to showcase the professionalism of our drivers and the importance of ongoing development across the industry.”
Mr Lightwood says: “Yesterday provided a fantastic opportunity to better understand the commitment and skill required of our incredible bus driver apprentices up and down the country.
“As the future of the industry, we’re determined to provide apprentice drivers with the skills they need to deal with challenges facing the bus sector, and to ensure our bus services stay safe, inclusive and comfortable for all passengers.
“Delivering better bus services will ensure people have proper access to jobs and opportunities, putting more money in their pockets and powering growth in every corner of the country.”
The forthcoming Bill, which is expected to be introduced in the House of Commons in the coming weeks, will hand more powers to local authorities, allowing them to manage and improve services on regional needs. It will give local leaders the option to emulate schemes like Manchester’s Bee Network, or pursue close public-private partnerships as seen in Cornwall.
The legislation is also expected to include provisions for mandatory driver training, focused on improving women’s safety on buses and measures to end the purchase of new diesel buses by 2030.
