The restructuring of the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) will bring the change needed to meet the demands of the industry, says Peter Gomersall, the body’s interim CEO
I write in response to Leon Daniels’ opinion piece.
The title of the piece – ‘A strong force is required’ – is quite apt as this is exactly what the current restructuring and refocusing of CPT aims to deliver.
Following last autumn’s consultation exercise where CPT members were invited to provide their thoughts and views on the future shape and structure of the organisation, the overwhelming majority recognised that it was the right time for change.
Restructure, refocus
That’s not to say that CPT hasn’t been an effective and commanding force in recent years. Those members who worked closely with us during the passage of the Bus Services Bill 2017 will know this isn’t the case, but there is an increasingly strong sense within the industry that the many challenges which lie ahead for both coach and bus operators and suppliers, some of the most significant in recent times, need to be met by a stronger, more focused, industry trade body. And we are working hard to put this in place for our members.
Good progress is being made towards the restructuring of the CPT, and interviews for our new Chief Executive will be taking place over the next couple of weeks. With an incredibly strong list of candidates having applied for the role, the interviewing panel of senior CPT members hope to conclude the process at the end of the month, and I should be in a position to make an announcement shortly after.
External relations
CPT certainly isn’t “thinning out and weakening its lobbying power”, quite the opposite in fact, and I am pleased to see that respected senior industry figures recognise and support the notion that a “stronger force is required”.
A key part of the restructuring of CPT is the creation of an External Relations Unit, which will be directly managed by the Chief Executive. The Unit, made up of an External Relations Manager, Policy & Public Affairs Manager and External Relations Executive, will be responsible for raising CPT’s profile in the media and across the wider transport industry, as well as providing high profile lobbying activities.
Interviews to recruit this new team are well underway with further announcements in due course. In addition to the creation of an External Relations Unit, a new External Relations Committee comprising senior members from the bus, coach and supplier sections of our industry has been established to support and advise on the work of this team moving forward.
Brexit impact
The impending fallout from Brexit is likely to present changes to the way coaches currently access and enter fellow European countries, and CPT is continuing to work to ensure that a sensible and workable solution is achieved. Given the continued uncertainty our industry faces from Brexit, Steven Salmon will be undertaking a new role as CPT International Manager moving forward.
I wholeheartedly agree with Leon’s view that “our industry is a critical one at a critical time” and “we need a loud voice heard in every quarter”. With a refocusing of efforts to get the key messages across to industry stakeholders and decision makers, a higher profile at events and greater engagement across the wider transport sector, I am confident that CPT will be ideally positioned to lead the debate and respond to the many challenges which lie ahead in 2019 and beyond.
