Several confirmed speakers at the joint Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) and Backhouse Jones Route Forward conference have been named ahead of the event being held in Leeds on Tuesday 16 September.
As a half-day conference, Route Forward will be staged at the Clayton Hotel close to Leeds city centre and open at 0900hrs. It has already been billed as an opportunity for coach and bus operators to familiarise themselves with a changing industry landscape and greater political buy-in to the sector.
The gathering will also consider how local transport authorities can make smart and well-informed decisions on the regulatory model for bus services that will best suit their region, work which aligns with a handbook on that process that will soon be published by CPT.
For operators of all sizes from SMEs to large groups, practical insight and strategic guidance will be offered on preparing for what CPT says is “major reform.”
Backhouse Jones Legal Director James Backhouse – who will speak at Route Forward – previously noted that coach operators, including those involved in home-to-school work, should ensure they are abreast of changes that could be brought to them by Enhanced Partnership and franchising.
Final touches are currently being put to the speaker line-up, but the following individuals are already confirmed:
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- James Backhouse, Backhouse Jones Legal Director
- Alison Edwards, CPT Director of Policy and External Relations
- Stephen Fidler, Department for Transport Director, Buses and Inclusion
- David Leeder, Transport Investments Limited Managing Partner
- Peter Mann, East Midlands Combined County Authority Interim Transport Programme Director
- Richard Stevens, Go South West Managing Director
- Tim Taylor, West Yorkshire Combined Authority Director of Public Transport Operations.
CPT says that such a range of speakers will deliver a strong mix of policy, legal and operational perspectives. A panel discussion will take questions from delegates.
Adds Ms Edwards: “We are entering a new era for the bus industry. This will be a chance to explore the future of the coach and bus sector, focusing on how operators and local authorities can seize the opportunities emerging from the evolving policy landscape.”
Attendance at Route Forward is free and recommended for those involved in transport strategy or planning at local authorities, members of the coach and bus operating sector, and industry partners and suppliers. Registration can be made here.
