As ever, the advice from Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) President Ian Luckett is to engage with those who aren’t conversant with coach and bus industry problems
By the time you read this column I will – hopefully – have successfully completed the TransAid London to Paris cycle ride.
Saddle-sore perhaps, fingers crossed I will get to the finish on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday 24 September in one piece! But at the time of writing I am very much looking forward to the challenge.
I will have many colleagues from the coach, bus and logistics industry along with me, and of course we are looking to raise money for the really valuable work TransAid performs in Africa. We are also intending to blog and tweet along the way so hopefully you were able to follow our progress.
I have to confess that the 380km ride ahead of me looks rather paltry compared to the recent exploits of plucky Brit Mark Beaumont, who successfully cycled around the world in just 79 days. He averaged around the same distance each day as we will attempt over three days.
But back to business. I know that I have said it time and again, but we really do have to make sure we engage with our elected representatives to ensure they know who we are, what we do, the contribution we make, and the challenges we face.
Master of engagement
CPT is a master of this craft. Earlier this month I attended a briefing that CPT had arranged at Portcullis House for MPs, the purpose of which was to highlight how coach and bus travel is part of the solution to the air quality issue. I have to say, I do not find it a hardship to attend events in the parliamentary estate, and always feel slightly privileged to do so.
I was fortunate to speak to Scott Mann, the MP from North Cornwall who, while not directly affected yet by any of the Clean Air Zones, was very aware of how important an issue this will be and was also aware that public transport can help solve the issues.
I also spoke to Fabian Hamilton, the MP for North Leeds, whose constituency is very much affected by the air quality agenda as Leeds has been named as one of the first five major cities required to act to improve air quality for their residents.
So all in all, a very useful event, and CPT will be sure to maintain the dialogue with those who attended, as well as those MPs who did not, and keep them informed of local developments.
Define ‘normal’
Something I touched on last month was my involvement with the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership. Since my meeting I have had some further discussions with LowCVP where we have tried to identify what constitutes a 'normal' coach journey.
It is almost impossible to pin down any coach journey as 'normal', but it is important that a baseline profile is agreed upon so that any aftermarket Euro 6 abatement equipment can be benchmarked on a test rig and awarded the relevant credentials as required.
So having soothed the aching muscles after the cycle ride, my thoughts will soon be turning to Coach & Bus UK 17, and I very much look forward to meeting as many industry colleagues as I can and catching up on the new industry and vehicle developments that the trade shows demonstrate so effectively.
I see that the Theatre presentations have been confirmed, many of which I hope to attend. I will also be spending much of my time with the CPT team on stand J2, so please drop by for a chat.
