A new year, a new government, could this mean a turn in fortunes for buses?
The early commentators are calling 2020 “the year of the bus,” and why not? There’s nothing better than a positive attitude, and there are some already some encouraging signs.
The Department for Transport (DfT) signed up to CPT’s call for a National Bus Strategy, and is considering a long-term funding strategy for buses to net-zero carbon emissions.
Local authorities are also joining the fight. York is planning to ban unnecessary car journeys from the city centre by 2023, Bristol wants to do the same with diesel cars, and Birmingham will charge old polluting cars which enter its city centre later this year.
Let’s hope Clean Air Zones bring all cars into the fold soon, as Low Emission Zones in Scotland will by 2023.
Or perhaps we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Much has been made about the fall in passenger numbers and despite 80% of the UK’s population living in urban areas, 47% of the population never catch the bus.
New bus registrations in 2019 are looking dire, with LowCVP estimating a 30% decline in overall 2019 sales.
But let’s remain positive. London aside, where the Underground and Uber are taking a toll, passenger journeys were relatively stable last year, with a small increase in vehicle mileage in metropolitan areas.
4,400 buses are being retrofitted to Euro VI emission standards, giving the UK the cleanest bus fleet in Europe. Wrightbus got a new owner and are delivering vehicles again, and there are new arrivals in the electric bus market such as Equipmake.
However, if we’re going to reverse the fortunes of the bus industry in the UK, we should think in decades, not years.
Following decades of decline, we need decades of consistent policy nationally and locally that encourages using buses as a clean and green form of transport.
It’s taken 10 years for mild hybridisation to become commonplace in new buses, it will take another 10 years before electric and hydrogen are the go-to powertrain.
With COP 26 to be held in Glasgow at the end of 2020, decarbonisation will be top of the agenda, and buses are the lowest carbon form of transport around.
Boris will want to make a splash and set out how great Britain’s future will be post-Brexit. Expect to see the phrase “world leading” everywhere. Look out for some consultations, and maybe even something on BSOG.
With a certified “bus man” in number 10, a clear majority in Parliament and five years to play with, is there a better time to make the case for buses and create a foundation to take us through to 2050?
Perhaps it could be the “decade of the bus”? The upcoming UK Bus Summit on 6 February will be our first taste of how serious the new government is. Fingers crossed.
