You can trace the origins of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) back to about 1890 — when private operators, mostly still using horse-drawn vehicles, formed the Tramways and Light Railways Association.
By 1914, this had become the Public Service Transport Association (PSTA) and the Scottish Road Passenger Transport Association (SRPTA), which served both private and municipal operators (including some in Northern Ireland).
While the Road Traffic Act 1930 significantly changed the sector, most road passenger transport operators across the UK remained in private hands until after the second world war, many represented by the Passenger Vehicle Operators Association (PVOA).
In 1943, PSTA merged with the Omnibus Owners Association to form the Public Transport Association (PTA) — the largest thus far for representing English/Welsh municipal transport undertakings and independents.
By 1948, the Attlee Labour government had full nationalisation of all road passenger transport in its sights and the newly formed arms-length body — the British Transport Commission — was busy taking over significant bus operators.
CPT has continued to evolve so it can help the industry deal with many challenges – Phil Smith
The threat of compulsory nationalisation eased under the Conservatives after 1951 but, as bus use declined and became less profitable (especially in rural areas), take-overs by larger operators continued.
Then, in the 1960s and 1970s — when many urban bus operators were struggling financially — a Labour administration brought in the Passenger Transport Authorities and Executives, despite opposition from an alliance of bus operators, spearheaded by PVOA.
Reflecting those changes, the PVOA, PTA and SRPTA opted to form the Confederation of British Road Passenger Transport (CPT) with members spanning nationalised, locally controlled and independent coach and bus operators, as well as overseas and associate members supplying goods or services to the industry.
The 50 years since then have been no less eventful but, as CPT’s Coach Manager Phil Smith says, “Consistent with its history, CPT has continued to evolve so it can help the industry deal with many challenges — whether driven by the legislative framework, market conditions, or patterns of ownership.”
Anticipating deregulation in 1982, CPT assumed the trading name Bus and Coach Council and set up Bus and Coach Services Ltd (offering products and services to BCC members) and Transfed — a commercial subsidiary whose activities would be taken over after privatisation by Go-Skills, the sector skills council.
After deregulation/privatisation in 1987, CPT adopted another new structure (offering associate status to tendering authorities) and in 1994 was rebranded the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK.
The golden thread throughout this evolution has been CPT’s capacity to foster collaboration and enable adaptation to change.
As CPT Operations Director Keith McNally, suggests: “Over recent decades, there have been many examples of this — from navigating the arrival of seatbelts, PSVAR and the introduction of low-floor buses; to facilitating the creation of effective partnerships; advocating for zero-emission tech; and marshalling the risk assessment expertise required to ensure bus operators could run services during the pandemic and coach touring could restart swiftly once restrictions relaxed.”
Coach operator Dave Parry, whose company, Parrys International Tours, also recently marked its 50th anniversary, says: “We’ve always been members of CPT because of the representation it affords us at the highest level and the practical attention to the many small and major issues that come along almost daily to pose another operational challenge.”
CPT has also championed diversity and solidarity. Twenty-seven years ago, CPT Regional Manager Karen Tiley found herself one of only four women among over 700 men attending her first CPT Annual Dinner.
She says: “The picture across the family of companies that come together as part of CPT — to discuss key issues in relaxed and formal settings, and to help each whenever disaster strikes — could not be more different today, where women deliver immeasurable benefits across our industry.”
As CPT has long done, so may it continue — working together to resolve the issues of the day such as the current driver shortages, anti-social behaviour and ensuring that, under new franchising arrangements, passengers get better bus services and all types of operators can compete fairly for business.
Above all, we’ll strive to adapt and drive our industry successfully forward… for another five decades.
