Will 2022 be a defining year for the bus industry?
With continued government ‘incompetence’ and potential service cuts, the year ahead could be a lively one politically, but problematic for the bus industry
This year...
Time to hold ‘the government’s feet to the fire’
With the appointment of a new Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, will the ‘contradiction at the heart of the government’s bus policy’ be...
‘£3bn for bus improvement in England is inadequate’
So, the Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) in England are all in, although I don’t know if every single local transport authority (LTA) actually...
Westminster Watcher: Prime Minister’s speech ‘an optimistic view of the future’
Prime Minister’s ‘vacuous’ speech at the Conservative Party conference was ‘full of rhetoric but also full of boundless Boris optimism’ – and it mentioned buses…
I listened to...
‘Economic challenges spell a tricky period for the industry’
As we move into the autumn season and, perhaps more importantly, edge closer to the Comprehensive Spending Review – which could be one of...
‘A funding fault line runs through the National Bus Strategy’
As we edge ever closer to the deadline for local transport authorities (LTAs) in England to submit their Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs), I...
Shapps ‘a consummate presenter’, but NBS message is lacking
The Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, is a consummate presenter, if nothing else. Every time he gets on his feet in the...
‘Bus Service Improvement Plan timetable hurt by elections’
As 2021 unfolds, a key issue confronting the bus industry will increasingly be the deliverability of the National Bus Strategy for England. It has...
‘How does coach strategy fit into a sector private to its core?’
The publication in March of a coach strategy – Backing Britain’s Coaches – by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) might be seen by...
‘Bus industry must start to recognise changes in society’
I hope nobody of a nervous disposition watched Chancellor Rishi Sunak deliver his Budget on 3 March. He was impressively honest in laying out...
Government commits £815,000 for Bus Centre of Excellence
The government is today pledging £815,000 of investment for a new Bus Centre of Excellence to train and retain staff in the industry.
The new...
