The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has announced first details of the speaker programme for its 2023 UK Bus and Coach Conference, which will be held at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham between 30-31 March.
It will sit alongside CPT’s annual dinner on the evening of 30 March, which makes a return for the first time since 2020. The conference will include a suppliers’ exhibition and networking opportunities, CPT notes.
Hosting the conference will be CPT President Ralph Roberts and Chief Executive Graham Vidler. Among confirmed speakers thus far are Network Rail Chair Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, Department for Transport Directors Stephen Fidler and Jessica Matthews, and Shadow Minister for Buses and Taxis Simon Lightwood.
Among the topics to be covered will be:
- Regulatory reform for bus, and how a minimum level of service for different communities can be specified
- Bus decarbonisation
- Coach and the city
- The future of PSVAR in coaches
- What a Labour government would bring to the sector
- The driver shortage
- What’s next for zero-emission coaches
- New markets for coach and bus
- Technology in the industry.
Attendance at the conference is free to CPT members, while non-members who wish to attend should make contact via email. Further speakers will be named over coming weeks, the Confederation advises. Tickets for the annual dinner can be booked via CPT’s website and they are exclusive to members.