John Birtwistle, outgoing President of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), looks back at a tough 12 months in the industry as he makes way for new President Ian Luckett
By the time you read this, the CPT will have a new President – Ian Luckett. I am sure Ian will do a great job and enjoy the role. I hope you will all give him the same encouragement and support as you have given me in the last 12 months.
So, apart from the sometimes surprising results of giving the electorate the right to take decisions around the world, what happened in 2016?
We finally got to see what the Government intends to do about buses going forwards. Some of it good, some of it less so, with the proposals for business confiscation and market closure still on the agenda – but with new opportunities to work together as industry colleagues and with local authority partners to deliver an improved bus offer.
But we still have a lot of parliamentary process to go through before we see a Bus Services Act, probably in April. We know too that Scotland is looking to have bus legislation later in the year.
The other big issue has been air quality. We have seen the publication of proposals for Clean Air Zones in Leeds, Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham and Southampton. Buses have been singled out for action with proposals that all need to be Euro 6 standard within the next three years.
And who is going to pay for that? The passenger, no doubt – assuming operators can afford to do it. We are short on detail on these proposals and much may change, but we need to get local politicians, council officers and populations to understand that buses are part of the solution to these problems, not a problem that represents a “soft” target.
London too has seen proposals for acceleration and extension of its Ultra Low Emissions Zone and we will see more details of this in 2017. The industry has been at pains to point out the impact of these proposals, not just on bus services but on the major contribution coach tourism and scheduled coach services bring to the capital. There is a risk of unintended consequences here.
The high profile of air pollution and the undoubted health problems it causes has lead NICE to report on measures that the public sector, in particular, can take to address it. While well intentioned and unarguable, their draft Guidelines fail to mention – completely – the role of public transport and what investment in buses and coaches can do to encourage modal shift and reduce car traffic. There is a lot to do here in 2017.
We do finally have some further clarity on the wheelchair/buggy conflict issue that has been in legal debate for nearly five years. But, as before, drivers have no power to compel passengers to move and can take no action to remove a passenger in the face of a refusal.
Looking back over the year it’s been great to see how we as an industry respond to the varied and difficult challenges we face.
We are lucky to have a body like the CPT looking after our interests, but remember the CPT relies on the quality and strength of its members. If you aren’t already a member, join up – and if you are a member, make sure you get involved.
