Passenger Transport: April 19, 2024

FORTEVERYNIGHT

Labour vows to fasttrack bus franchising

Party says that its plan will allow 250 million more bus passenger journeys a year, but ‘it will require no additional central government spending’

Labour has promised to help local authorities to introduce bus franchising “in as little as two years” if it wins power at the next general election.

Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh has set out the party’s plans for a better bus network across England, with a promise to allow every community across the country to take back control of local bus services.

A statement issued by Labour on April 11 declared: “The plan will also see better buses delivered faster, with franchising done in as little as two years. Greater Manchester endured a six-year slog due to unnecessary barriers

imposed by central government.”

During its first term, a Labour Government will pass new legislation to support local transport authorities to take back control of their bus services. The party claims that its plan could create and save up to 1,300 vital bus routes and allow 250 million more passenger journeys per year

“We will support local leaders to deliver better buses, faster”

Louise Haigh

compared to the existing system - but “it will require no additional central government spending”.

Haigh launched the plan at an event in the West Midlands with Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, and the party’s West Midlands mayoral candidate, Richard Parker. Parker has pledged to introduce bus franchising if he wins the region’s mayoral election on May 2.

Haigh commented: “Labour will give every community the power to take back control of their bus services, and will support local leaders to deliver better buses, faster.”

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

Elizabeth Line order could plug Derby gap

06

‘Intensive discussions are taking place’

First of NCT’s electric buses enter service

14

48 electric buses will join company’s fleet

NXWM tickets can be bought on Uber app

15 Happy campers can be happy bus passengers

22

Change gives ‘greater flexibility and choice’

Alex Warner has spied a market opportunity

NEWS, VIEWS AND ANALYSIS FOR A SECTOR ON THE MOVE

Labour launched its plans in the West Midlands. Left to right: Angela Rayner, Richard Parker and Louise Haigh

The bus deregulation dam is finally about to burst

Those who have been yearning for the reversal of bus deregulation have had to be patient. They waited 38 years before a Tory chancellor, George Osborne, finally offered them hope. Osborne pledged legislation to make bus franchising easier for metro-mayors and, three years later, the 2017 Bus Services Act arrived. But ‘easier’ didn’t mean ‘easy’, and it took Greater Manchester a further six years to become the first place in England to implement bus franchising, with Tranche 1 of its Bee Network launching in September 2023. Announced last week, Labour’s new plan for buses includes a pledge to introduce legislation that will cut the time taken to introduce bus franchising to as little as two years - and for all parts of England. It’s taken almost half a century to see deregulation reversed, and so far only in Greater Manchester. But, assuming that an incoming Labour government does not drag its feet, places like the Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire and West Midlands could feasibly have franchised bus networks in place by 2030 - a radical shift in UK transport, that also looks set to extend to Scotland and Wales. Authorities that wish to pursue this path will be encourged, but they should tread carefully to avoid expensive and reputation-damaging mistakes - especially in an environment where finances are tight and no additional funds have been promised. But, after so many decades, it appears that the deregulation dam is about to burst.

AndyBurnham,themayorof GreaterManchester,believes Englandiswitnessingasignificant shiftinbusservices,whichcan beattributedtoinitiativeslike thenationalbusstrategyandthe introductionofbusfranchising.

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Thegovernmenthasupdatedits guidanceforthenextbatchofBus ServiceImprovementPlans.What canweexpectfromthem?“Decades ofexperiencetellsusthatachieving morebususersrequiresapackageof initiatives,”says Nick Richardson

21 LABOUR REVEA L S BUS P L ANS - BUT NO MONEY

OurWhitehallinsiderimagineswhat’s goingoninsidethemindsofthe mandarinsatGreatMinsterHouse, homeoftheDepartmentfor Transport.“Haighhasfailedtosay howallofthiswillbepaidforor wherethemoneywillcomefrom.”

22 W I BC APPOINTS BOARD MEMBERS

TheWomeninBusandCoachInitiative hasannouncedtheappointmentof itsinauguralboardofdirectors.This milestonemarksasignificantstep forwardintheorganisation’smission topromotegenderdiversityand inclusionwithinthesector.

‘Franchise your bus network to save money’

Andy Burnham claims

Bee Network costs are a third cheaper

REGULATION

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, believes England is witnessing a significant shift in bus services, which can be attributed to initiatives like the national bus strategy and the introduction of bus franchising.

Speaking at a recent Transport for the North board meeting, Burnham revealed that Greater Manchester is now sharing its franchising experience with other local authorities. He noted that the region was now making significant savings in bus service procurement due to regulation.

“People often say can they afford franchising - I hear that a lot when they get in touch with us - but I would put it another way, can you afford not to?” he said.

Burnham claimed that evidence from Greater Manchester shows

that franchised services are one-third cheaper per kilometre compared to the previous tendered contract regime for socially necessary services.

He continued: “The problem with those tendered contracts is that it leaves councillors on the back foot because an operator can just say they are going to get rid of a service. How do you negotiate in that situation? You’re over a barrel, you pay over [the odds] and so public money is not well used.

“You’re much better off in a franchised context because also if you have policies like the £2 fare cap and patronage goes up, the upside of that comes back to the public farebox.”

Burnham called for legislative changes that would simplify the franchising process, reduce bureaucracy, and reduce the risk of legal challenges.

“I would say let all areas franchise and let all local authorities do it because from a

‘Smaller interventions offer greatest change’

Stephen Vidler highlights bus funding’s smaller wins

While funding allocations and public support for franchising often take the spotlight in discussions about England’s national bus strategy, it’s crucial to recognise that many of the most impactful changes actually originate from smaller, yet equally significant, interventions, according to Stephen Fidler, co-director of

local transport at the Department for Transport.

“What some people don’t see from the National Bus Strategy is the stuff that isn’t the big money; it’s some of the smaller things that are, for me, just as important if not more important,” he told Transport for the North board members last month.

Fidler revealed an overlooked

best use of public money point of view, to me it’s already clear that you get better use of public money in doing it,” he said.

Speaking at the same meeting, Stephen Fidler, co-director of local transport at the Department for Transport, revealed that feedback would update guidance for local authorities seeking to move to a franchised regime.

“I don’t expect that to be an absolute fundamental change, but I expect it where we can to pick up some of the advice we’ve had from colleagues, particularly in Greater Manchester and Liverpool City Region about what would have been useful to be clearer and might have made the process easier,” he said.

Fidler also said there was no one-size-fits-all approach to bus franchising options, citing a recent visit to Jersey as an example. He said the model there differed significantly from that adopted by Greater Manchester.

CONCESSIONARY REFORM PLANNED?

ENCTS could follow BSOG and see big changes

CONSULTATION

According to Stephen Fidler, co-director of local transport at the Department for Transport, the department expects to launch a consultation process about the future of the Bus Service Operators Grant within months.

Speaking at a meeting of the Transport for the North board last month, Fidler highlighted the grant’s importance as the most significant revenue support grant for the bus industry, hinting at potential major changes that could involve greater devolution of the funding to local level.

“There are some really interesting key issues in that,” said Fidler. “How do we approach devolution? To what extent do we devolve that funding down? What type of circumstances?”

In addition, Fidler raised further questions regarding the calculation methods and the potential transition away from a fuel duty basis. He emphasised the need to determine the appropriate methodology. “There are a whole bunch of choices coming up within that space,” he said.

aspect of the bus strategy: extra funding to appoint at least one officer in every local authority dedicated to fostering partnerships with operators.

He also highlighted some of the work the DfT has been engaged in to improve bus accessibility. Later this year, the government will implement new rules requiring audio visual announcements on buses.

“We’re also attempting to deal with some of those softer experiences, such as hidden disabilities,” Vidler added.

Furthermore, Fidler suggested potential changes could also be on the horizon for England’s National Concessionary Travel Scheme, with a particular focus on “eligibility, service hours and so on”. He also expressed the DfT’s eagerness to raise awareness of ENCTS, a move aimed at revitalising bus use among concessionary pass holders.

“To what extent do we devolve that funding down? What type of circumstances?”

West Mids frontrunner pledges bus franchising

Polls suggest Labour’s Richard Parker will win mayoral election

FRANCHISING

Labour’s candidate in next month’s West Midlands mayoral election has pledged to bring bus services back under public control if he wins power on May 2.

The Labour Party chose the West Midlands as the location for the launch its plans for a better bus network across England on April 11. Labour’s mayoral candidate, Richard Parker, joined shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh at the event.

Opinion polls show that Parker has a substantial lead on the

LABOUR PROMISES TO FAST-TRACK FRANCHISING

Continued from Page 1

Where bus franchising is already in place, in London and Greater Manchester, Labour claims that buses have thrived. In Greater Manchester, the Bee Network, introduced under Labour mayor Andy Burnham, has “improved reliability and significantly grown passenger numbers less than a year after bus franchising went live”.

Haigh said: “Reliable, affordable and regular buses are the difference between opportunity and isolation for millions of people across the country.

“Four decades of disastrous deregulation of Britain’s buses has robbed communities of a say over the vital services that they depend

current Conservative mayor, Andy Street, who is seeking a third term. Street, a businessman who was the managing director of John Lewis from 2007 to 2016, has sought to improve local bus services through partnership working with bus operators since he became the region’s first directly-elected mayor in 2017.

“Under the Conservatives thousands of vital bus services have disappeared and local

communities have been left powerless, with no tools to hold operators to account,” said Parker.

“As mayor of the West Midlands I will end this broken system and bring our buses back under public control.

“With a Labour mayor for the West Midlands, and a Labour Government in Westminster, we can work together to deliver better buses, faster.”

Labour’s launch event was

“As mayor of the West Midlands I will end this broken system and bring our buses back under public control”

Richard Parker, Labour mayoral candidate

on, instead handing power to unaccountable private operators who have slashed services.”

Labour’s new five-point plan for buses in England also promises to bring “an end to the postcode lottery of bus services by providing safeguards over local networks across the country”.

Responding to Labour’s plan, Confederation of Passenger Transport CEO Graham Vidler said: “CPT and its members are committed to working with local leaders whatever the regulatory model any future government may bring forward for the sector.

Operators in Greater Manchester, for example, are working flat out in cooperation with the mayor to ensure successful delivery of the new Bee Network.

“Local leaders already have extensive opportunities to influence and shape delivery of bus services through the contractual

hosted by National Express West Midlands, which is the dominant operator in the West Midlands. If franchising was implemented, the 1,600-vehicle company, which is owned by Mobico Group (formerly National Express Group), would have to bid against rival groups to retain all or part of its business. National Express West Midlands is the group’s only remaining UK bus operation - so a failure in the bidding process could result in Mobico’s exit from the UK market.

If the polls are correct and Parker wins the May 2 election then the West Midlands will follow in the footsteps of Greater Manchester, which has already introduced bus franchising and will complete the process next year. Other metro-mayors in England are all progressing plans to introduce bus franchising.

arrangements available under ‘enhanced partnerships’. Local authorities and operators in places like Leicester, Portsmouth and Norfolk are already demonstrating the extent to which real improvements in the passenger experience can be delivered without further regulatory reform.

“Whatever the regulatory approach, we know that passengers want more bus services going to more places that are also more reliable and more swift. Better buses will require a stronger focus and sustained investment in these passenger priorities.”

GRUMBLES: PAGE 21

LABOUR’S FIVE POINT BUS PLAN

1. Empower local transport authorities and reform funding: by giving local leaders more control and flexibility over bus funding and allowing them to plan ahead to deliver their local transport priorities.

2. Allow every community to take back control of their buses: by removing barriers that limit bus franchising powers to metro mayors.

3. Accelerate the bus franchising process: by supporting local leaders to deliver better buses, faster.

4. Step in to safeguard local bus networks: by providing more accountability over bus operators and ensuring standards are raised across the country.

5. Support public ownership: by removing the “ideological ban” on publicly-owned bus companies.

Elizabeth Line order could plug Derby gap

Order for 10 new trains could solve Alstom order desert

ROLLING STOCK

Rolling stock manufacturer

Alstom has confirmed that it is in “intense discussions” with transport secretary Mark Harper about the future of its Derby plant and a potential order for additional rolling stock for the Elizabeth Line.

Harper later posted on social media site X, formerly Twitter, that he had had “a good, constructive meeting with Alstom Group CEO Henri PoupartLafarge on the future of train manufacturing in the UK”. He added: “Intensive discussions are taking place, to conclude no later than the end of May.”

In a statement, Alstom added: “We are now in a period of intense discussions with the UK government and Transport for London about a potential train

£50M FOR MID CORNWALL METRO

Scheme aims to deliver hourly rail network

FUNDING

The government has confirmed a £50m investment in the Mid Cornwall Metro scheme, which will deliver a new hourly coast-to-coast train service between Newquay, St Austell, Truro and Falmouth.

The scheme will see significant infrastructure enhancements along the Newquay rail line, including a second platform at Newquay station and an additional ‘passing loop’ that will double the number of services

order for the Elizabeth Line, given the levels of passenger demand. This could help secure the future of our Derby Litchurch Lane site.”

Alstom has warned that the Derby plant is at risk due to an impending production gap. Around 1,300 people are employed at the site, and 15,000 jobs are in the wider supply chain. While the manufacturer has secured future orders for HS2

trains, it can only sustain the factory once these contracts commence in late 2025. Alstom has said it urgently needs a minor interim contract to maintain activity on the production lines. It is understood this would require an order of at least 10 trains.

TfL has been actively lobbying for additional rolling stock for the Elizabeth Line, which has now become Britain’s

between Newquay and Par.

Other improvements will include level crossing and signalling improvements to enhance service reliability. Passengers will also benefit from ‘tap-in’ and ‘tap-out’ digital ticketing with price capping. Longer term plans aim to integrate the Mid Cornwall metro into the county’s bus network.

“Our recently completed track and signalling upgrade in Devon and Cornwall has unlocked the door to the development of the Mid Cornwall Metro, which will help more people than ever before travel by train,” said Marcus Jones, Network Rail western route director.

busiest rail network. The line’s success has led to services operating at near capacity during peak hours. There have also been proposals put forward to extend services to new destinations.

Those capacity issues will only increase when HS2 services commence from the interim terminus at Old Oak Common.

TfL anticipates approximately 53,000 Elizabeth Line passengers travelling eastbound between Old Oak Common and Paddington during the morning peak, with 49,000 passengers travelling westbound between Paddington and Old Oak Common during the evening peak to connect with HS2 services.

In a report last summer London transport commissioner Andy Lord confirmed TfL and DfT officials had been working closely on plans for more rolling stock and the government had “endorsed the strategic case to procure additional Class 345 Elizabeth Line trains”.

Lord continued: “This would give us the flexibility to increase service levels in future to optimise the delivery of HS2 and support UK manufacturing in Derby.”

Hourly services between Newquay and Par will launch in May 2025 with the rest of the Mid Cornwall Metro following in 2026

Harper (right) met Alstom CEO Henri Poupart-Lafarge this week

Government flexible on Piccadilly NPR plans

Mark Harper suggests underground option may be back on table

HIGH SPEED RAIL

Plans for a new underground HS2 station at Manchester Piccadilly might be revived under a new strategy to realise Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).

The government has set out plans for the latest incarnation of NPR, which will broadly follow the previously proposed route between Liverpool and Manchester while also serving Warrington Bank Quay and Manchester Airport.

Transport secretary Mark Harper told parliament that there was “interest from local leaders in exploring further options for station design at Manchester Piccadilly”.

MORE DIRECT AWARDS PLANNED

New contracts planned for three rail companies

CONTRACTS

The Department for Transport has announced its intention to make new direct awards for three passenger rail contracts - East Coast, South Western and Essex Thameside.

The move suggests no firm plans for resuming competitive tendering for contracts in the medium term.

The new deals will last for two to five years for the East Coast contract and at least three and potentially up to eight years for SWR and Essex Thameside.

Since 2021, all three contracts have been direct awards, ensuring a seamless continuation of services.

He continued: “Government remains open to considering these issues, subject, as usual, to affordability within the funding envelope, standard business case approvals, and demonstrating value for taxpayers’ money. I look forward to continuing discussions on these points.”

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham hailed Harper’s stance as a “real breakthrough,” expressing enthusiasm for the underground option. Critics have said an above-ground station would require new viaducts across Manchester city centre.

“We have long argued for an underground option at Manchester Piccadilly and finally the door has been opened to it,” he said. “At last there is the prospect of the UK government having a level of ambition for the

These contracts are operated by familiar names in the industry: LNER (via a Department for Transport subsidiary), South Western Railway (FirstGroup and MTR), and c2c (Trenitalia UK). The LNER contract, in particular, has been in public hands via DfT OLR Holdings Ltd (DOHL) since June 2018, following the termination of the loss-making Virgin Trains East Coast franchise.

LNER’s current direct award expires on June 22, 2025, with the SWR current contract expiring on May 25, 2025, and the c2c deal on July 20, 2025.

No changes to the networks of the operators are envisaged, with previous plans to integrate the East Coast contract with Great Northern services out of King’s Cross now on the backburner.

North that matches ours.”

Harper also announced plans to repurpose proposed HS2 legislation to facilitate NPR, redirecting the High-Speed Rail (Crewe-Manchester) Bill from HS2 Phase 2b to NPR. The move follows prime minister Rishi Sunak’s cancellation of HS2’s northern leg into Manchester earlier this year.

“I will be continuing to promote the High Speed Rail (CreweManchester) Bill as the fastest possible means of consenting the first part of that route into Manchester,” Harper told MPs.

“Subject to the will of the house, the government will seek to adapt the Bill to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail only, removing scope south of the parish of Millington and Rostherne, which was included only for HS2.”

REFUND ADMIN CHARGE SLASHED

Cut introduced due to lower processing costs

CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Office of Rail and Road has introduced new regulations that have lowered the maximum fee for refunding an unused rail ticket from £10 to £5. The change stems from an ORR review which found significant gaps between the average cost of processing a refund (typically less than £5) and the previous maximum admin fee of £10, based on the 5.8 million refunded tickets in 2019/2020.

“The processing of refunds is now predominantly done digitally, which has resulted in lower costs,” said ORR director Stephanie Tobyn.

IN BRIEF

REDEVELOPMENT DEAL

Homes England and Network Rail Property have signed a development agreement with McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate to be strategic development partners for York Central, one of the UK’s largest city centre regeneration schemes. The milestone development agreement will lead to the transformation of one of the largest brownfield sites in England alongside partners the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum. The mixed-use development will build 2,500 new homes and create up to one million sq ft of office, retail and hospitality space, along with improvements to the York Railway Station and an enhanced National Railway Museum.

HOPE VALLEY COMPLETED

Rail minister Huw Merriman visited Dore & Totley station last week to mark the completion of the £150m Hope Valley Railway Upgrade. The minister officially opened a new and fully accessible platform at the station, restoring two platforms at Dore & Totley for the first time since the 1980s. The existing platform has been lengthened to accommodate six-carriage trains.

TUK LAUNCHES GTR CONTRACT

Transport UK has become the largest rail replacement operator in the UK after launching a new contract to provide Govia Thameslink Railway with planned and emergency rail replacement services. The group already provides services for East Midlands Railway, Greater Anglia, Network Rail, ScotRail, Transport for London, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Trains.

Khan floats plan for East Thames Buses 2.0

Bus contracts could pass to new public bus operation

MUNICIPALS

Sadiq Khan, who is currently vying for a third term as mayor of London, has vowed to introduce a publicly-owned bus operation for the city if reelected.

The pledge follows comments by Labour’s shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, indicating the party’s intent to remove restrictions on public ownership of bus operations, imposed by the Bus Services Act in 2017.

Commentators have highlighted the similarity of Khan’s proposals with those of former mayor Ken Livingstone, following the launch of East Thames Buses from the ashes of failed independent operator and London Buses contractor Harris Bus in 1999.

East Thames was retained to allow Transport for London to gain experience in bus operation and act as an ‘operator of last resort’ in the event of a failure of an established private operator in the capital, something the operator was called on to do when London Easylink collapsed in 2002. However, after Boris

Johnson’s election as London mayor, East Thames was sold to Go-Ahead London in 2009. Khan highlighted that 16 private companies currently operate London’s bus network. His proposal aims to return some of the city’s 675 routes to public ownership. Contracts on routes would be reviewed by Transport

for London as they expire, determining whether the new public entity should operate them.

According to Khan, this plan would deliver “better value for money, consistency, and service to all Londoners and visitors”.

It would also provide stability and assurance in case operators fail during their current contracts. This initiative is a cornerstone of Khan’s transport manifesto, which includes several other key projects he pledges to champion if re-elected. These are:

The West London Orbital, an 11-mile extension to the London Overground network running from Hounslow to Hendon and West Hampstead;

The extension of the Docklands Light Railway to Thamesmead; The extension of the Bakerloo line from Elephant & Castle to Lewisham - with an interim Superloop-style express bus service - and a second phase extending to Hayes and Beckenham Junction; and Crossrail 2, running from Hertfordshire to Surrey.

NO CHANGE WITH LATEST TENDERS

Arriva, RATP Dev and Stagecoach all keep routes

REGULATION

Transport for London has announced a number of new bus route contract awards despite purdah restrictions for the forthcoming mayoral election.

RATP Dev Transit London has retained Routes H37 (HounslowRichmond), 33/N33 (FulwellHammersmith), 71 (ChessingtonKingston) and 371 (Kingston-North Sheen). Meanwhile, Arriva has retained Route 341 (Angel Road Superstores-Waterloo) and Stagecoach keeps Route SL3 (Thamesmead-Bromley).

NEW CONTRACT LAUNCHES Transport UK London Bus last weekend launched operations on Route 306 (Acton Vale-Sands End) with a new fleet of fully electric Wrightbus Electroliner double deckers from its Battersea depot.

Essex urges bus users to report operator

Vectare withdrawal sees Essex urge passengers to contact DVSA

OPERATORS

Essex County Council (ECC) has urged bus users to contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) after expansionminded bus operator Vectare withdrew from several councilsupported routes in the county at short notice this week.

Vectare has grown beyond its initial consultancy activities in recent years and now boasts several small bus networks in the East Midlands and Home Counties. Last summer, it acquired independent operator Central Connect and inherited the ECC routes.

Vectare has claimed it formally informed the council of its

CONSULTATION ON YOUNG DRIVERS

Proposal to remove 50km rule for 18-20-year olds

RECRUITMENT

The government has announced plans to lower the minimum age requirements for bus and coach drivers, aiming to expedite their training process. A new consultation will probe plans to eliminate the restriction that limits 18-20-yearold drivers to routes within a 50km radius of their home depot.

Despite being fully trained and qualified to drive articulated lorries without distance restrictions, drivers in the 18-20 age bracket currently need more support on longer routes, such as London to Manchester, due to the 50km constraint. The

intent to discontinue operating the routes in February. This decision came after a business review following the acquisition of Central Connect concluded that the council’s timetables were “unachievable” due to escalating traffic congestion, resulting in severe delays and unreliability. It said this situation led to significant passenger frustration. The operator claimed it had been keen to resolve these issues but “unfortunately received no engagement”. Vectare continued: “Our concerns were heightened in January 2024 when ECC published their local bus tenders to be operational from July 2024 with exactly the same timetables which we had already told them were unachievable. This, to us, demonstrated that they were not intending to take any action,

government acknowledges that this restriction impedes career advancement and stifles their potential.

The consultation also proposes changes relevant to the PCV sector, including allowing trainee drivers to immediately commence theory and off-road training, bypassing the need for them to hold their provisional license physically.

The initiative has won support from bus operators who have recently encountered stiff challenges in recruiting and training new staff.

“This could be a win-win, not only improving job opportunities for those leaving school but also going some way to continue to ease driver shortages,” said buses minister Guy Opperman.

Speaking at the launch of the

despite us making it clear to them that the timetables they required us to operate to were simply impossible.”

ECC has drafted in replacement operators for the services on a temporary basis. “If you have any concerns about Central Connect (who communicate as Vectare) and the current position, please contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency,” it added.

Sources familiar with the local bus scene told Passenger Transport that Vectare’s decision to withdraw was curious as the contracts were due to expire soon anyway.

“Wouldn’t you just carry on running ‘unreliably’ and simply highlight the correspondence trail with ECC to the traffic commissioner or DVSA if required?” they added.

consultation at an event in Carlisle, Graham Vidler, chief executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, welcomed the move. He said CPT viewed the plans as a positive step forward for the sector. Vidler added that he believed that well-trained drivers in this age bracket can safely operate a broader range of passenger-carrying services and longer routes.

“Allowing new recruits to get on with off-road training while awaiting their provisional licence will ensure more trainees stay the course and become safe, qualified bus or coach drivers,” he added.

“As 18-year-olds are already allowed to drive an articulated lorry, there is a clear case for allowing them to drive all types of coach and bus services.”

SAFETY WORKS ON BUSWAY FINISHED

Cambrs route reopens after two year hiatus

BUS RAPID TRANSIT

The southern section of the Cambridgeshire guided busway has been fully reopened after undergoing safety enhancements. This stretch of the busway connects the Trumpington park and ride site and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus to the city’s railway station.

The decision to close the busway section was made in 2022 following several accidents, including a pedestrian fatality. The recent improvements include the installation of fencing to separate the busway from the adjacent active travel corridor. Its reopening will substantially reduce travel times as buses will no longer face congestion on Hills Road.

“We are delighted for our customers that this important piece of our local transport network is now fully open again,” said Stagecoach East managing director Darren Roe.

KENT CONFIRMS DOVER PLANS

Fastrack scheme will link new housing developments

BUS RAPID TRANSIT

Kent County Council has confirmed its Fastrack bus rapid transit system in Dover will launch this summer connecting Whitfield with Dover town centre and Dover Priory railway station. The council is delivering the scheme in partnership with Dover District Council and Homes England.

Stagecoach will operate five fullyelectric buses on the Dover Fastrack network, which will serve new housing developments at Whitfield, supported by an £850,000 grant from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.

More delays to Core Valley Lines upgrade

£1bn modernisation programme has been beset by unexpected challenges, including Covid, and is running behind schedule. Rhodri Clark reports

PROJECTS

Passengers in South Wales are facing further delays before they enjoy the benefits of the £1bn modernisation of the Core Valley Lines.

The Welsh Government took over from Network Rail the lines north of Cardiff Queen Street and the Cardiff Bay branch, in order to electrify them and enhance service frequencies. In 2018 the programme was scheduled to deliver doubling or quadrupling of trains per hour from Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney by December 2023.

The modernisation programme has been beset by unexpected challenges, including Covid-19. However, passengers on the Rhymney line are already benefiting from the use of new FLIRT trains from Stadler. These are diesel trains until the line

is electrified, when Class 756 tri-mode electric/battery/diesel FLIRT units will take over.

The Treherbert, Aberdare and Merthyr Tydfil (TAM) lines, including Pontypridd to Cardiff, have been electrified first, but there have been delays to testing and crew training on the Class 398 Stadler tram-trains for the TAM lines. Transport for Wales plans to introduce Class 756s temporarily on these lines this year, to make use of the new overhead electrification ahead of the timetable uplift which was planned to occur in December.

Minutes of the TfW Rail

Board’s January meeting reveal: “The board approved a recommendation to defer the planned December 2024 CVLMetro timetable change, which was planned to accelerate journey times on the Cardiff-Treherbert/ Aberdare/Merthyr Tydfil routes, to May 2025 as a result of delays in the availability of Cl.398 for service.”

This June, TfW will begin to introduce aspects of the future CVL timetable. Whereas the Cardiff Bay branch now has a shuttle to Cardiff Queen Street all day, from June two of the trains each hour will continue to Pontypridd and return to the Bay.

“It was a fantastic moment to see a train run on the Valleys under electric power for the very first time”

Alex Cochrane, project manager

A new service of two trains per hour between Cardiff Central and Caerphilly will also be introduced, as a new service pattern for the Rhymney line evolves. An industry consultation document explains:

“From June 2024, only [Class] 150s will work between Rhymney and Bridgend via the VOG [Vale of Glamorgan line].” This is because only main-line traincrew are trained to work on the VOG, and they will not be trained on the new Stadler units until after the completion of training of all CVL crew, due in autumn 2025.

Reverting to Class 150 Sprinters, dating from the 1980s, will be a temporary step down for Rhymney Valley passengers who use the trains to Bridgend via Barry trains. Currently FLIRT units operate services between Rhymney and Penarth.

The CVL programme passed another milestone on April 3 when a Class 756 made a test run from Cardiff Canton depot to Pontypridd using the new overhead electrification equipment. Project manager Alex Cochrane said: “It was a fantastic moment to see a train run on the Valleys under electric power for the very first time.” He added that there was still plenty of work to do before they enter passenger service “but we know customers will really appreciate the huge benefits they will bring”.

The innovative CVL programme has been likened to the Elizabeth Line project in London in its ambition. TfW recently sent managers to the Elizabeth Line to learn lessons which will be useful as the CVL enhancements are introduced. The visit gave them insights into service recovery on a busy network, “the customer journey including in times of service disruption”, managing “no toilets on trains” and dwell times at stations, among other subjects.

An old Class 150 unit beneath new overhead electrification equipment on the Treherbert line

SPT has 25 bus projects delayed by funding cuts

Key projects on hold following freeze on capital spending

FUNDING

Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has laid bare the impact of the Scottish Government’s decision not to provide capital funding for SPT this financial year. Across the region, more than 25 bus projects are unfunded, as well as improvements to transport interchanges, roads and traffic management.

SPT had drafted a programme to invest more than £52m in transport projects in 2024/25, for which it was expecting to receive £10m to £15m of general capital grant and £19.6m for Subway modernisation. It had run budget planning scenarios in case of some reduction in funding.

The complete removal of funding has resulted in SPT placing all projects in two categories: the first is for those which cannot be deferred because

TRAWSCYMRU ELECTRIC ROUTE GROWS BY 65%

New buses entered service on T1 in March 2024

ELECTRIC BUSES

The first TrawsCymru route to receive electric buses notched up a 65% growth in passenger numbers in its first year, Transport for Wales has revealed.

New Yutong electric vehicles were introduced on the T1 service between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth in late March 2023, in tandem with

they are legally committed or operationally essential; the remainder are in Category 2.

Projects in Category 2 can only be progressed in 2024/25 if funding became available. Approval would need to be sought to promote projects to Category 1. Both categories include SPT and local authority projects.

SPT will use funding from its reserves for Category 1, primarily the on-going modernisation of the Glasgow Subway. Even that programme is not immune, with £5m of Subway investment - primarily tunnel and infrastructure works - placed in Category 2.

Few bus projects are in Category 1. The main ones are bus station improvements at Buchanan (£1,120,000) and in East Ayrshire (£800,000).

SPT bus projects in Category 2 include further works at Buchanan bus station (£400,000) and expansion and upgrading of Real Time Information (£450,000). Local authority projects in Category 2 include bus stop improvements in the Hope Street and Renfield Street area of Glasgow, improvements to the Brodick to Lochranza bus route on the Isle of Arran, Renfrewshire bus corridor improvements, South Lanarkshire bus route congestion reduction, Cumbrae ferry bus stop and queueing facilities, and Inverkip bus laybys.

The total value of projects in Category 2 for this year is £31,830,000, of which “bus operations” projects account for £14,260,000. Local authorities had

“We continue to have a funding gap on the priority projects and therefore no funding sources for Category 2 projects”

improvements to timetables and bus stops and the creation of a depot with charging infrastructure in Carmarthen. Passenger numbers increased by more than 100,000 in the first six months - a large increase for a rural bus route - and across the year were 65% higher than in 2022/23.

The route’s upgrade was followed by promotional offers, including a summer group ticket costing £10 for a day’s travel for two adults and two children. There was a 50% discount on T1 fares during ‘Catch the Bus Month’ in September. Through tickets are available from railway

lined up £12,127,000 of projects this year, the first year of an intended three-year programme. Unless the funding picture changes during the year, only three of the 12 authorities will receive any capital funding, totalling £1,240,000 for Category 1 projects.

An SPT spokesperson said the partnership was continuing to lobby Transport Scotland for funding. “In the meantime, SPT is using reserves to continue Subway modernisation work and support those projects which are legal or operational commitments.

“SPT’s priority, and only funding commitment, is to deliver Category 1 projects where these are legally committed or where they are considered to be operationally essential. We continue to have a funding gap on the priority projects and therefore no funding sources for Category 2 projects. However, SPT will continue to monitor progress and spend on all Category 1 projects during the financial year. Should any slippage in the programme be identified, this may present an opportunity to bring forward Category 2 projects for funding consideration by the relevant SPT Committee.”

stations to the T1.

Ken Skates, cabinet secretary for north Wales and transport, said: “This is great news for bus users and the environment. The introduction of these greener, modern, more comfortable buses has clearly encouraged more people to use the TrawsCymru T1 service.”

The service is operated by First Cymru. Each vehicle saves 3kg of CO2 per round trip.

Mark Jacobs, TfW’s TrawsCymru contracts and performance manager, said: “Launching the all-electric TrawsCymru T1 service last year was a significant moment in the story

of TfW and our development into a truly multi-modal organisation. Feedback on the new service has been overwhelmingly positive and the increase in passenger numbers demonstrates how an improved public transport offering can positively influence people’s travel behaviours.”

Two other TrawsCymru routes now have electric vehicles: the T7 between Chepstow and Bristol and the T22 between Blaenau Ffestiniog, Porthmadog and Caernarfon. The Welsh Government has a target of making the entire TrawsCymru fleet zero emission by 2026.

Dutch rival swoops on remains of Van Hool

VDL aims to continue production of Belgian firm’s coach products

MANUFACTURERS

Efforts to secure the future of Belgian bus and coach manufacturer Van Hool failed last week when the business collapsed into bankruptcy. A partnership comprising Dutch competitor VDL and GRW, the parent of German truck trailer manufacturer Schmitz Cargobull has been given approval by the bankruptcy court to acquire the business. This was despite a rival bid from Belgian industrialist Guido Dumarey in partnership with Van Hool’s US distributor, ABC Companies which aimed to preserve more jobs in Belgium.

The VDL/Schmitz takeover will

SME GRANT FOR TALKING BUSES

Move aims to help with new regulation compliance

ACCESSIBILITY

The government has announced a £4.65m fund to assist smaller bus and coach operators in equipping their vehicles with new audiovisual next-stop information technology and audio loop equipment.

result in only 650 to 950 of the 2,500 employees retaining their positions. Schmitz Cargobull is eyeing Van Hool’s trailer division, while VDL is primarily interested in Van Hool’s coach business as it already has a well established presence in the bus market.

Van Hool has faced challenges in the bus sector in recent years despite relocating assembly operations to a factory in Macedonia in a bid to reduce costs and a slow transition to electric buses after focussing on hydrogen fuel cell technology. The bankruptcy trustees

“The acquisition of Van Hool by VDL and GRW is the best solution”

The new Accessible Information Grant aligns with regulations introduced last year requiring all bus operators to install audio and visual display equipment. It complements the £350m allocated previously to enhance accessibility at railway stations and aims to assist SME operators in meeting the October 2026 deadline for the new regulations.

“Buses are the most used form of public transport in the country, and for people who are disabled, they may be the only way to meet friends and family, attend medical appointments or get to work,” said buses minister Guy Opperman.

“I can only imagine how daunting it must be to get on a bus and not know for certain where it’s going or when to get off, which is why we introduced new rules to ensure all buses provide this information in an accessible way. This £4.65m is the extra push to give operators the tools to upgrade their buses on time.”

Charity Guide Dogs has campaigned for many years on this issue. Pete Osborne, deputy chief executive at Guide Dogs, said: “Accessible buses can unlock

said that the VDL and Schmitz Cargobull bid offered a quicker path to resuming operations and a prolonged restart process could have halted both production and distribution, jeopardising the company’s value and potentially impacting employment.

“We are convinced that the acquisition of Van Hool by VDL and GRW is the best solution for employment and enables a sustainable restart,” said trustee Jeroen Pinoy.

“Given the circumstances, the preliminary agreements reached with the family-owned VDL and GRW businesses represents the best achievable outcome for all parties involved. However, this does not negate the fact that many employees will unfortunately have to seek employment outside of Van Hool.”

opportunities to get around independently, whether that’s to travel to work, go shopping or see friends. But for many people with sight loss, bus travel has been difficult or impossible because of a lack of audio next stop and final destination announcements.

“After years of campaigning, we were delighted with the new regulations announcement last year and we greatly welcome the opening of these grants. AV announcements on buses will be a significant step forward in creating a more inclusive and accessible transport network, helping people live the lives they choose.”

RTIG is managing grant applications on behalf of the Department for Transport and more details can be found at rtig.org.

IN BRIEF

SOUTH COAST LAUNCH

Next month Stagecoach South East will introduce a new route connecting Eastbourne with Brighton. The new hourly Route 701 will provide an alternative to Brighton & Hove’s Route 12 but avoid direct competition by taking a route via Falmer, Seaford, and Newhaven. The new service will operate from Stagecoach South East’s Eastbourne depot and tickets will start from just £2 for a single journey, in line with England’s national fare cap.

GLASTONBURY GROWTH

National Express has added 34 more departures to its network of services to the Glastonbury Festival this year, taking the total number of locations served to 109. The operator is expected to carry over 20% more passengers on the services when compared with 2023 and plans to open a ‘pop-up’ coach station outside the festival entrance. “Demand for affordable and reliable public transport has never been greater, and that includes travel to the summer’s hottest festivals and events,” said John Boughton, commercial director at National Express.

FLIXBUS LAUNCHES

FlixBus has announced two further new routes to its growing UK network. In partnership with Cymru Coaches it will launch a new route five times each day between Bristol Airport and Swansea via Newport, Cardiff, Bridgend and Swansea University. Meanwhile, partner Belle Vue has launched a new Manchester to York and Bradford coach service. The Manchester-based operator already operates FlixBus routes between Manchester, Leeds, Middlesborough and Newcastle.

First of NCT’s electric buses enter service

48 electric buses will join the company’s fleet by mid-2025

ZERO EMISSION BUSES

The first of Nottingham City Transport’s brand new zero emission electric buses entered service earlier this month.

Following a successful joint bid by Nottingham City Transport and Nottingham City Council to the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) Fund, NCT has ordered 48 electric single deck buses and installed new charging infrastructure at its Trent Bridge Garage in the Meadows.

The total cost of the new buses and infrastructure is £32.2m, with £13.4m from ZEBRA and £18.8m from NCT over the lifetime of the vehicles.

David Astill, managing director of council-owned NCT, said: “This is the very start of an exciting new era in the long

history of NCT. We are keen to play our part as Nottingham aspires to become a carbonneutral city. The delivery of our first 24 electric buses marks just the start of a programme that will see our remaining diesel powered buses replaced by electrics as they become due for withdrawal.”

The remaining 24 electric single deck buses will enter service in the first half of 2025.

Following a rigorous public procurement process and operational trial of many electric buses, NCT ordered its buses from the world’s largest bus manufacturer Yutong Bus and Coach, with UK-based Pelican Bus and Coach adding about 40% of the value of the buses when finishing them to NCT’s requirements at its factory in Yorkshire.

New electric buses for Nottingham

UPGRADED E-BUSES FOR YORK

Equipmake has converted vehicles for First York

ZERO EMISSION BUSES

Equipmake has delivered a fleet of 12 upgraded electric buses to First York, with all vehicles now in service. The Optare Versa single-deck models have been converted by Equipmake, incorporating the company’s cutting-edge ZeroEmission Drivetrain (ZED) technology, which in this specification, features a 274kWh capacity battery, providing a range of 150 miles.

The delivery follows on from

‘RIP UP THE URBAN MOBILITY PLAYBOOK’

Report urges fundamental culture change

POLICY

A former managing director of Stagecoach UK Bus has published a new report which urges a radical realignment of UK transport policy to achieve commitments on net zero.

Published this month on busreinvented.com, RidingtheBus to NETZERO! by Robert Montgomery argues that net zero requires fundamental culture change. He says this will only be achieved if we either travel less or travel much more sustainably - and the best way to deliver that change is through a combination of active travel on foot or by bike or collective travel by mass transit, predominantly bus.

Montgomery commented: “It is, therefore, time to rip up the Urban Mobility Playbook and rewrite it around boots, bikes and buses as is being done in some remarkable cities around the world including Paris, Los Angeles and New York, remodelling urban roads and planting trees where the jams used to be.”

a successful trial of an initial converted prototype vehicle, which allowed engineering teams at First York and Equipmake to evaluate its performance and make any final adjustments. The completed 12 buses are now in full, reliable service across the city playing a key role in improving York’s urban air quality.

Stuart Eyre, engineering manager of First York, said: “Equipmake’s repower technology is an important step in our transition to achieving a fully electric fleet in York, continuing to help improve air quality in the city and supporting the goal of First Bus nationally to have a zero-emission fleet by 2035.”

SOLENT MAKES THE SWITCH The first new electric buses from First Bus South, operator of First Bus Solent, have entered service in Portsmouth, Fareham and Gosport. They are the first of 62 Wrightbus Electroliner buses, supported by ZEBRA funding, which will be rolled out over the coming weeks

NXWM tickets can be bought on Uber app

New and existing users receiving ‘greater flexibility and choice’

TICKETING

National Express West Midlands has announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with the launch of its bus tickets within the Uber app, through an integration with Masabi’s Justride platform.

Uber has added NXWM mobile bus tickets to its app, providing both NXWM and Uber customers with greater flexibility and choice when purchasing tickets to travel by bus throughout the West Midlands. This new feature, integrating NXWM buses alongside traditional Uber rides, provides customers with access to a range of affordable and convenient transport ticketing options in the familiar Uber app.

Users simply open the Uber app and look for the red bus icon, click on it and select their journey

STAGECOACH APP

SELLS SINGLE AND RETURN FARES

Scheme piloted in Irvine ahead of nationwide launch

TICKETING

Stagecoach West Scotland has simplified bus travel by launching single and return tickets on the Stagecoach Bus App.

Bus users in Ayrshire will be the first in the UK to pilot the scheme; the roll out from April 15 is limited to Irvine town services with a view to launch singles and return tickets across the UK.

type. Then they select the number of tickets they want, make a payment and go.

Masabi’s Justride Software Development Kit (SDK) has made the functionality possible. The SDK creates a seamless passenger experience combining secure ticketing functionality within existing apps. NXWM’s single, day and weekly bus tickets are now available to purchase via the Uber app, which customers then validate as they board the bus and scan their ticket using NXWM’s onboard validators.

John Boughton, commercial director for National Express UK and Ireland, said: “This first-of-its-

“The partnership with NXWM will help turn Uber into a one-stop-shop”

Andrew Brem, Uber

Stagecoach says that ease of use for both customers and drivers is at the heart of the pilot scheme. The company is encouraging customers to make the switch to the Stagecoach Bus App, to further reduce the environmental impact of paper tickets and speed up boarding times.

The Stagecoach Bus App offers multiple ticket purchasing options and a host of other benefits, including planning journeys and tracking buses in real time. The Stagecoach team will be hosting pop-up events across Irvine and travelling on local bus services, supporting customers with

kind collaboration provides new and existing customers greater flexibility and choice by offering sustainable travel options, alongside great value fares.

“In 2022 we partnered with Uber to offer access to National Express coach bookings across the UK through the user-friendly Uber app. We are really pleased to be enhancing this partnership further by integrating National Express West Midlands tickets and making it easier to move around the West Midlands by bus.”

Andrew Brem, general manager of Uber UK, said: “We’re delighted to launch this new consumer product as it further extends Uber’s goal of helping riders go anywhere, be it by train, car, bike, coach, boat and now bus. The partnership with National Express West Midlands will help turn Uber into a one-stop-shop for our users across the region creating seamless multi-modal journeys in one simple in-app experience.”

questions and promoting the benefits of app tickets and travel.

Stagecoach West Scotland managing director Fiona Doherty said: “At Stagecoach, we prioritise good customer experience and ease of use of our services and the pilot launch of single and return tickets on the Stagecoach Bus App is another major step in that journey.

“Our team is on hand to support customers with any questions they may have ... We are committed to offering an inclusive range of products; customers who may not have a smartphone will still be able to purchase a single or return ticket from the driver.”

TfW DIRECTOR TO MAXIMISE DATA UTILISATION

Mandy Garrett took up post in January

DATA

Transport for Wales has appointed a new IT and digital services director with a remit to exploit the wealth of data TfW now receives.

Mandy Garrett took up the post in January, having worked in various industries, including financial services, housing, care and international education. Her predecessor left last autumn.

Her key priorities are app development and “maximising the utilisation of the significant quantity of data held by TfW, especially through the new trains”, TfW’s board was informed. “The data can be used to drive a better customer experience and quality of service in a multi-modal TfW.”

More accurate counting of passenger numbers is one area where new data sources can help. TfW Rail’s board was told in January that ticketless travel remains an issue, and “further work is required to provide robust passenger count data”.

‘Another major step’

ALEX WARNER

Happy campers are potential bus users

You won’t persuade me to join you on a camping holiday, but many others enjoy it - and bus companies should make a pitch for them

I was so unhappy I cried myself to sleep for six nights, wishing I was back home and missing my cat, Buster. In August 1981, and not quite 11, I was with the church club camping in North Norfolk. It was so awful that my mum and brother came up from Kent to take me home. Our party were coming home a day later, but I couldn’t even wait till then, it was so bad. Strange, therefore, that I am now writing an article regaling the benefits of camping, even if the experience put me off for life; memories of sleeping in a field, freezing cold at night on a dew-ridden surface by morning and with the rancid smell of horse manure trapped in the air and the ignominy of having to defecate in holes in the ground then find a leaf to use instead of bog paper, still clear in my mind.

Of course, I would rather spend an hour in the company of some of those clown MDs on LinkedIn who go on about their great achievements than go camping again, but I am fascinated by its potential for the bus sector, which I don’t think can be overstated. The use of campsites is booming. Research from Mintel suggests it is a £2.1bn market, and 47% of adults went on a camping or caravanning holiday in the past three years, whilst 25% took a UK holiday centre and park break over the previous half-decade. There are over 2,500 campsites in the UK, with the most popular destinations being the Lake District, Wales, Cornwall, Northumberland and Devon. The pandemic introduced 4.5 million ‘newcomers’ to camping or caravanning. Add holiday parks

to the mix, and the statistics are actually pretty eye-watering; there are over 6,240 sites, more than 438,000 pitches, and the market is worth £9.3bn, employing nearly 171,450. This includes motorhomes, rented holiday homes, caravans, lodges, chalets and pitched glamping units.

My instinct tells me that very few people will ditch the car to actually get to their campsite, with all the paraphernalia that is required for a week in a tent or chalet, albeit either for pop festivals or shorter stays. However, it’s not uncommon to see youngsters on coaches with their rucksacks and tents in tow. The real opportunity is to convince folk to leave the car at the campsite as they go about their holiday. Campers tend to care about the environment; it’s one of the reasons they

choose to be at home with nature in a field on their holiday. It, therefore, feels as if it should be an easy message to extoll the sustainability benefits of not clogging up the countryside once they are at their destination.

Bus companies need to be on the front foot, and this is where my Great Scenic Journeys team and I are being deployed at several operators, particularly those where the marketing resource is talented but tiny in number. Campsites cannot be relied on to go out of their way to pro-actively extol the virtues of local bus travel to guests, but they can be encouraged by a visit from folk from the bus company, providing them with leaflets, championing the benefits of the service and potentially offering a discount for campers and an incentive for the campsite.

The effort needs to be more than just a cheery discussion about the bus service. Leaflets or timetable booklets are helpful (particularly as at many remote campsites the internet connection is poor and there is a reliance on paper!), but a one-pager spelling out the key information about the bus route serving each campsite is important - those arriving on their holiday, don’t want to be spending valuable holiday time wading through a complicated timetable book.

The demographics of campers are also interesting. From a few vox pop-type discussions I had on a visit to a large campsite in Devon late last summer, almost all of those I spoke to were regular bus customers when at home, and only one or two turned their nose up at bus travel. The only slight issue - and one which we find when trying to encourage holidaymakers for a scenic sojourn by bus - is that their perceptions were tarnished by the grind of their less attractive bus company back home. Campers, and those that go to park resorts, tend also to be a price-sensitive market, and you would think that the prospect of a £2 bus fare would be a real pull for them.

Creating reasons to travel for campers is really important. A bit like the journey being the reason for the holiday for those of us who gear our vacation around a transport holiday, campers tend to view just being static or in and around their campsite or holiday resort as the holiday itself. Soaking up the surroundings and fending for themselves without the normal creature comforts of home is the mainstay element of their trip. If they wanted to cram

A West Coast Motors bus photographed by the editor on a detour into Port Ban Holiday Park, Argyll and Bute

“47% of adults went on a camping or caravanning holiday in the past three years”

their itinerary with things to do and places to visit, they’d go on a different type of holiday. This can make them less receptive to someone from the bus company trying to raise awareness of trips to make great destinations - but, inevitably, and particularly for those with young children, boredom kicks in and finding things to do is on the agenda. Without sounding trite, research shows that those who enjoy camping and similar holidays tend to enjoy it because of simple pleasures; the lack of complexity and bus travel could fit this description.

The key, though, is for the bus operators to work with tourism providers to raise awareness among those at campsites of the great places to visit close by. Ideally, they should do this when folk purchase their holiday, so they are made aware of the proximity of a great bus route past the campsite and the ability to buy a Rover or discounted ticket when they book their holiday. The proposition should also be fun as wellopen toppers, where practical, maybe some goody bags for kids or quizzes and games to keep them captivated when on board. Maybe have someone from the bus company dressed as a mascot in a costume on key days of the year? I’m up for that - and cheap at the price too! Raising awareness is one key step, and the other is to ensure the proposition is great: an imaginative holiday-themed brand, a driver who is happy-go-lucky and joins in the holiday spirit, and clear, engaging bus stop information. The bus stops really need to be sales pitches, catching the eye of campers as they drive past, so they are under no illusions that when they next venture out, they can do so by bus. In the campsites themselves, the bus stop should be prominent and ideally, the bus drives slap, bang, into the centre so that when folk are going about their daily routine, the sight of a bus is integral to the landscape. There will be some bus routes that could, with some minor tweaking, be re-routed closer to or even into campsites.

It’s not just at campsites and holiday resorts where there are big opportunities. Anything static in the countryside, where folk flock to and where the essence of the destination or pastime being enacted is about being closer to nature, is fair game for exploitation by bus companies. National Trust properties are a classic example - they have a challenge on two key fronts - the first is how to avoid having to desecrate parts of their green land with

overflow car parks, and the other is how to attract a new demographic - current visitors tend to be white, senior and fairly affluent. I had an interesting couple of calls with the National Trust Cliveden House property recently, where they were looking at a possible solution in terms of a bus shuttle from Taplow railway station as a means of unlocking a new mass market around West London and Slough that might not be aware of the delights of the location. Someone such as me, who cannot drive, is excluded from many National Trust and English Heritage properties that would be a joy to visit because the public transport links are poor. I’ve long believed that there is an opportunity to create a nationwide feeder proposition for their sites, but it needs the financials to stack up. All this comes back to the bus industry is focused on customer segmentation in a way that transcends the usual high-level customertypes, such as ‘business’ or ‘leisure’. There is never any harm in analysing and trying to engage with a market at the most specific and targeted micro level. Recently, I produced itineraries by bus for those who like horse racing and those who might fancy some active sports on a route or customers who wanted to watch a morning of county cricket at Hove, followed by an afternoon of non-league football between Worthing and Weston-superMare, all hosted by the 700 Stagecoach South Coastliner. I’m sure that some folk thought it was odd trying to whittle down an offer to a potentially very niche market, but my view is that a lot of marketing is trial and error, and the more you think about customer preference and the mass of potential motivations to travel and different penchants and lifestyles, then the closer you will get to landing a proposition that is compelling. There is never any wasted time and resources putting yourself in the shoes of current and potential customers.

There are other target markets out there, such as dog walkers. Locations such as the Peak and Lake Districts are full of folk venturing out with their canine friends, seeking dog-friendly pubs and cafes and wanting to partake of a bus trip that is the gateway to a new walk that otherwise might be inaccessible unless they had a car. The beauty of bus travel over the car is that they can alight at one place, have a walk and then pick the bus up further down the route or board another service elsewhere on the network as part of an itinerary. Recently,

I chatted with many customers in Keswick, Lake District, and they all said that they loved the fact that it was an accepted practice to take their dogs on the Stagecoach services for a day out, and they had spread the message to fellow dog lovers. I think there’s a campaign to be created for those who love walking their dogs. Contacting dog-walking societies, offering a free seat for those with paws, maybe hooks on-board for leads to be chained to so that furry friends can be secured, and maybe dispensers with dog food and water on-board would be a good idea too. QR codes and downloadable and printed leaflets could be produced to show great dog walks aligned with bus routes and dog-friendly places to visit.

The list of target markets is endless, from the LGBT+ scene through to those who like transport heritage, theatre buffs or folk who enjoy attending sporting events. Of course, it’s not as simple as just providing a leaflet and expecting a whole market to be unlocked. It needs copious research by someone knowledgeable about the particular market, and it requires reaching out to that particular community through message boards, Facebook pages and societies. It also needs someone with an affinity and, indeed, passion for the market to write content - I hope it wasn’t discernible when I wrote my blog about the proximity of bus journeys to racecourses that I actually find horse racing the most tedious sport ever, just as I’m probably not the best person to regale you with the benefits of a week living in a tent. But, I’m not going to diss those who enjoy the whiff of horse manure whilst sleeping and don’t mind using a Portaloo for a week - each to their own. So long as they make an occasional trip on the bus during daylight hours, then, for me, there’s no better pastime than camping. Who’s up for a sing-song round the campfire, then?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Warner has over 30 years’ experience in the transport sector, having held senior roles on a multi-modal basis across the sector. He is co-founder of transport technology business Lost Group and transport consultancy AJW Experience Group (which includes Great Scenic Journeys). He is also chair of West Midlands Grand Rail Collaboration.

NICK RICHARDSON

A new round of BSIPs is underway

The government has updated its guidance for the next batch of Bus Service Improvement Plans. What can we expect from them?

The Department for Transport has issued new guidance for Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) in England to produce new Bus Service Improvement Plans (BSIPs) by June 12, 2024. The introduction of BSIPs in 2021 was a major step forward by government to recognise the importance of bus services and the need to make them better, particularly post-pandemic. Alongside BSIPs, Enhanced Partnerships involving LTAs and bus operators were established on a firmer footing than the previous voluntary arrangements.

Revised approach

DfT chooses its words carefully and despite the complexities of such matters as BSIPs, aims to set out clearly what is expected. The new guidance states that ‘The NBS [National Bus Strategy] explains that there can be no return to a situation where bus services are planned on a purely commercial basis with little or no engagement with, or support from, LTAs.’ Noting the production of a comprehensive set of BSIPs in 2021, described as ‘an impressive achievement’, the guidance recaps on the funding awarded. This is somewhat disingenuous in that the initial round of funding was far less than was promised , although of course very welcome. What is now referred to as BSIP Phase 2, formerly ‘BSIP+’ together with the main funding round leads to the statement that ‘all LTAs now have dedicated funding for delivery of their BSIP’. True, all LTAs have received

funding but the first round was considerably short of the need identified in the BSIPs and over half of the LTAs received nothing; Phase 2 was much smaller in scale. While all LTAs have received something, none will be in a position to deliver their BSIPs in full. However, LTAs in the Midlands and the North will receive extra funding from diverted HS2 funds (BSIP Phase 3). Government isn’t keen on LTAs saying they don’t have enough funding but if the aspiration to be transformational remains, then a funding shortfall is not the way forward.

The 2024 manifestation of BSIPs needs to fit in with other transport intentions, notably those included in Local Transport Plans (LTPs). BSIPs are an important component of LTPs although guidance on the latter remains unpublished. Hence BSIPs have an opportunity to shape LTPs far more fundamentally than ever before. As with BSIPs, LTP funding allocations are distributed but generally at a much lower level than that sought. The upshot is that transformational transport remains elusive and problems persist. An increasing emphasis on climate change means that greater changes in transport are needed and, by implication,

“Reducing council budgets affects the delivery of essential services”

greater resources - although the government’s approach seems to focus on filling potholes. It also needs to be remembered that neither BSIPs or LTPs on their own will be sufficient to achieve lasting changes because many aspects of transport lie with central government. DfT describes the bus strategy as ‘squeezing of a decade or more’s worth of change into just two years’, an optimistic outlook.

One of the current problems is successive cuts to LTA spending. What is widely apparent is that reducing council budgets affects the delivery of essential services and the scale shows that it is not a result of poor local governance. Put simply, if the demand for services increases, particularly for social care and education, while budgets decline, then inevitably there will be problems. This means that councils are put in an impossible situation in trying to balance the books. One consequence is that local bus services are not a priority and funding for revenue support will disappear if it hasn’t already. A further difficulty is that staff redundancies erode knowledge and capacity of how to deal with bus matters within an LTA. Ironically, there may not be the resources to deliver BSIPfunded schemes.

A new baseline

The starting point for new BSIPs is achievements to date with a new baseline of 2023/24. This helps re-establish a position disrupted hugely by the pandemic but deletes the longer term history of declining bus use in many areas. This is one significant change in the requirements and DfT emphasises how BSIPs should not be regarded as bidding documents even though they set out the needs identified to make buses better. The main tone is the same as before - improving bus services will attract new users but there remains a fundamental problem in that this approach only works up to a point. To achieve lasting change means doing a lot of things beyond the scope of bus services such as demand management measures that step by step erode car-dependency. Hence what is described as the BSIP setting out ‘a shop window’ of ambitions and proposals needs the wider context provided by a coherent transport policy framework. Without this, BSIPs progress in a vacuum.

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Decades of experience tells us that achieving more bus users requires a package of initiatives

There are some new requirements: guidance on ‘planning, designing, implementing, operating/maintaining and monitoring the delivery of bus priority measures and schemes’ is anticipated, with operation presumably covering enforcement particularly where bus lanes are part time. Liverpool City Region’s youth fare is regarded as an example of an initiative to follow elsewhere, with concessions also for ‘jobseekers, care leavers and armed services veterans’ although all involve administration. An interesting comment is that BSIPs should include initiatives ‘to familiarise non-users with their local buses, to de-mystify the service for non-users, and introductory offers to promote the service to them’. Demystification would also help existing users to some extent but it isn’t clear how potential users can be identified and approached other than through workplace travel plans and similar. For visitor destinations including national parks, promoting bus services is supported including park and ride sites although schemes may take rather longer to come to fruition than the BSIP spending programme allows. Also, a passing comment in the guidance is that ‘More

buses, especially in rural areas, should also carry cycles’.

A further new item is Bus Connectivity Assessments, again subject to pending guidance. These are to identify the best bus network to meet bus connectivity objectives at varying levels of public funding support, to be reported annually. It isn’t yet clear how these aspirational networks will relate to what is in place currently but they will be related to the funding spent, committed and hoped for. As such the assessments could be a helpful (and visual) means of demonstrating spatially the progression of BSIP initiatives. However, explanatory guidance was not published alongside the main guidance so time is short. The BSIP process raises some options for funding allocation across England - is it better to concentrate funding on selected areas to test how improvements can be made and to assess their combined impacts - or to spread funding around so that everyone gets something? The problem with the latter is that progress is far from transformational and arguably represents a poorer return on investment compared with areas where intensive effort yields better results. The

inevitable problem with concentrating resources is that there are likely to be more losers than winners, a criticism of BSIP Phase 1. Ideally any future funding pot should be large enough to avoid rationing or distributing too thinly but the future remains unknown at the moment. Decades of experience tells us that achieving more bus users requires a package of initiatives, not just selected ones; this leans towards funding some areas more intensively than others. LTAs where policies are in place to address car-dependency should be preferred because they are the places in which bus services could be really effective. To be avoided is a scenario in which measures are put in place until BSIP funding runs out and they are then taken away, not a good use of public money. We await the submissions and government’s response with interest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nick Richardson is chair of CILT’s Bus and Coach Policy Group and is a former chair of the Transport Planning Society. In addition, he has held a PCV licence for over 36 years.

“Haigh has failed to say how all of this will be paid for or where the money will come from” GREAT MINSTER GRUMBLES

Labour reveals bus plans - but no money

Our Whitehall insider imagines what’s going on inside the minds of the mandarins at Great Minster House, home of the DfT

With the local and mayoral election campaigns now well underway it was inevitable that Labour’s transport spokesperson, Louise Haigh, would take the opportunity to promote the Labour Party’s plans for “fixing” our “broken” bus system. And so, on April 11, she visited the West Midlands to do just that. There was nothing new in what she had to say, mind you, simply a confirmation there will be a Better Buses Bill to be passed in Labour’s first term in office to simplify the franchising system and to allow all local transport authorities to set up municipally owned and run bus companies.

Haigh also said that Labour’s plans will create or save up to 1,300 bus routes and allow 250 million more passenger journeys each year. So far, so Labour. However, once again Haigh has failed to say how all of this will be paid for or where the money will come from to deliver these ambitious plans. I’ve said on more than one occasion that in the absence of a substantial amount of extra funding it’s hard to see how these plans can be delivered, and it was interesting to see that some of the media that covered the story have started to raise this issue too. Indeed, one newspaper even reported that Labour has said that no central government money will be used to fund Labour’s bus plans.

Which implies that it will fall to individual local authorities to find the money. That could be an interesting challenge given that the Local Government Association has estimated that authorities in England already face a

£1.6bn funding gap in 2024/25. Unless and until Haigh and Labour’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, explain how their bus plans are going to be funded then I question whether they are actually deliverable, at least on the scale that Haigh is suggesting. As I have said before, political rhetoric will crash headlong into the harsh reality of government pretty much as soon as Keir Starmer walks into No 10 and as each new secretary of state opens up their first red box.

Haigh also reiterated that Labour wanted to see franchising in “every community” without acknowledging that not every community will want franchising, let alone be able to

afford it. So I was pleased to see Bus Users UK putting out a statement saying that “in our experience, people want reliable affordable buses and don’t have a strong view on what the regulatory system is”. Quite so. I was less impressed, however, by a comment from the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT) which said that “everyone, no matter where they live, should have access to a quality bus service without risk of it being cut which is why we are calling for minimum service levels for all communities…”.

I wonder if the CBT could pay us taxpayers the courtesy of saying how much this might cost. In the absence of explaining this, CBT’s statement is at worst irresponsible, at best meaningless. It’s surely ridiculous to say that everyone should have access to a quality bus service. With no risk of it being cut, you will note. I dread to think what the cost of such ambition might be. And it had me wondering. If everyone is entitled to a quality bus service would it be a breach of my human rights if I didn’t have that access? The idea of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) being able to adjudicate on my rights to a quality bus service sounds totally bonkers, as of course it is, but given some recent rulings coming out of the ECHR nothing would surprise me anymore.

There’s one other small point of detail about Haigh’s latest statement on Labour’s bus policies. She said that a Better Buses Bill would be passed in Labour’s “first term in office”. A touch presumptive, don’t you think, that the expected Labour government after the general election will be in office for more than one term? Now, I grant you, given that Labour currently looks like it might win the election with a thumping landslide, in all probability it will be in office for more than one term. But I think it’s unwise of Haigh to assume this.

It’s also worth pointing out that Haigh has not said whether a Better Buses Bill will feature in the first King’s Speech after the general election. So I wonder where this Bill sits in Labour’s list of legislative priorities for the first session of parliament after the election. If it doesn’t feature in the first King’s Speech there will doubtless be many disappointed stakeholders across the country who are hoping that this will be a high priority for Keir Starmer’s fledgling government.

The message from Labour

WiBC appoints board members

Milestone marks a significant step forward in the organisation’s mission to promote gender equality

The Women in Bus and Coach Initiative (WiBC) has announced the appointment of its inaugural board of directors. This milestone marks a significant step forward in the organisation’s mission to promote gender diversity and inclusion within the bus, coach, and community transport sector.

The newly appointed board comprises esteemed women professionals, and male allies, renowned for their leadership, expertise, and commitment to advancing gender equality within the transport industry. Among the appointed directors are individuals with extensive experience in operations, safety, policy, advocacy, finance, people, marketing, and technology, reflecting the multifaceted nature of the sector.

“I’m thrilled to welcome such a distinguished group of leaders to our board,” said Louise Cheeseman, chair of the WiBC. “Their collective expertise and passion for fostering diversity and inclusion will undoubtedly drive meaningful progress in our industry.”

The board’s composition

WiBC’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS

underscores WiBC’ s commitment to amplifying the voices of women within the bus, coach, and community transport sector. By leveraging their collective insights and networks, the board aims to implement initiatives that empower women, break down barriers to entry, and promote equal opportunities for all professionals in the field.

“Women in Bus and Coach will also work with bus and coach companies to challenge and eliminate barriers currently faced by women in the profession, creating a more inclusive service that is representative of our customers.” said Kerri Cheek, founding director of WiBC.

As part of its mandate, the board will oversee the strategic direction of WiBC, spearhead initiatives to address gender disparities and serve as ambassadors for diversity and inclusion within the transport community.

For details on the latest news and events visit: womeninbusandcoach.org.uk

Louise Cheeseman - Former director of bus at TfL, and chair of WiBC

Kerri Cheek - Senior bus safety development manager at TfL

Lorna Murphy - Operations & HR director at Transport UK London Bus

Candice Mason - Owner of Masons Coaches of Tring

Caroline Whitney - Technical lead at the Community Transport Association

Laurence Jenkins - Finance director at Reading Buses

Paul Sainthouse - Managing director of Dawsongroup bus and coach.

Tom Cunnington - Head of bus business development at TfL

Stephen Lynn - Marketing director for TRL

APPOINTMENTS

SCOTRAIL

Scottish Rail Holdings today announced that Joanne Maguire (pictured) has been appointed interim managing director of ScotRail following the two-year secondment of Alex Hynes to the UK Government’s Department for Transport. Maguire has been ScotRail chief operating officer since April 2022. She has previously held leadership roles in higher education and manufacturing.

Network Rail has also announced that Liam Sumpter has been appointed managing director of Network Rail Scotland. Sumpter, who was previously route director for Scotland, has taken up his new post on secondment for the same two-year period as Hynes.

Transport Scotland, Scottish Rail Holdings, and Network Rail remain committed to the Alliance Agreement, which has delivered collaborative working between ScotRail and Network Rail Scotland and ensures a close relationship between track and train - for example, the joint Integrated Control in Springburn, one of the first of its kind in the UK railway.

NETWORK RAIL

Network Rail’s Wales and Western region today announced Tim Walden as its new capital delivery director. Walden (pictured) joins from the company’s Southern region, where he has held the role of capital delivery director since June 2022. A driving force behind the completion of CP6 (the five-year railway funding period from 2019-2024), Tim has supported the creation of the Southern Renewals Enterprise, taking the region into CP7.

CPT CYMRU

Martin Gibbon, managing director of Stagecoach South Wales, has been appointed as the chair of the Confederation of Passenger Transport Cymru’s Bus Commission. CPT is the specialist trade association for bus and coach.

In this role, Gibbon (pictured) will oversee CPT’s key policy decisionmaking body on bus issues in Wales and work with CPT Cymru’s team to keep the voice of bus operators at the forefront of key debates.

Gibbon started his career with Stagecoach on the graduate scheme. He has held a number of roles including as operations director for West and Oxford and his most recent appointment as managing director for Wales.

EQUIPMAKE

Equipmake, the UK-based engineering specialist pioneering the development and production of electrification products across the automotive, aerospace, bus, and coach industries, announced the appointment of Glenn Saint as business development director.

Working across Equipmake’s national and international operations, Saint’s appointment provides further support for the company’s continuing expansion across the commercial vehicle electrification sector.

Saint has extensive experience in both the bus industry and electrified commercial vehicle space having held key leadership roles most recently over the last six years at electric commercial vehicle start-up Arrival, including chief of commercial vehicles. In his 40-plusyear career, Saint also spent 17 years at bus manufacturer Optare, where he was deputy CEO.

DIVERSIONS

Go North East puts pooches in spotlight

Bus drivers reveal the paw-some bond with dogs

Last week marked National Pet Day and bus operator Go North East released a delightful collection of snapshots capturing the pawsome bond between bus drivers and their dogs.

The collection titled ‘A Bus Driver’s Best Friend’ features six drivers from GNE depots, joined by pals Pongo, Chester, Tasha, Misty, Milo, and Ella. These bark-tastic photos will surely put a smile on passengers’ faces and a wag in

MAKE IT A DATE WITH KING ALFRED

Is your diary empty for the first May bank holiday weekend? Well, why not take a trip to Winchester? The Friends of King Alfred Buses will operate 14 buses of the

their tails as the operator celebrates the joy of companionship on and off the road.

Christopher Walker describes his relationship with Chester as “pure friendship”. “I was ill a while back

and Chester laid by my side until I was well again,” he said. “I’m in no doubt having him there helped my recovery. It’s such a lift when I see that wagging tail when I get home from work. We’ve got a little ritual: he greets me, I hand him the paper that I buy every day for Amanda, my wife, and he then fetches it to her. He’s my boy!”

Driver Kyle Thompson says his pet dog Ella is “a pampered pooch”. “She’s short-haired so gets cold quite easily so likes to have her jumper on,” he said. “We’ve got such an unbreakable bond, she really means the world to me.”

It certainly gives you something to paws and think about...

A NEW LIFE FOR AN OLD FRIEND

The withdrawal of the much loved High-Speed Trains from many UK train operator fleets has taken an unexpected twist with several trains exported for new lives in Mexico and Nigeria.

erstwhile independent operator from its collection - the largest number in its almost 40-year history - at its original running day.

Thousands of people are expected in the city to take advantage of the unique opportunity to take a trip (or several…) for free down Memory Lane. Buses ranging from 95 years old to the most modern one, built in 2002, will be in operation. Alongside the usual range of destinations in and around Winchester, the popular circular service to the historic Twyford

Waterworks, running every halfhour, features again this year. This coincides with an open day at the Waterworks, where the organisers are offering each holder of a King Alfred programme one free admission.

“We are looking forward to welcoming people not just from Winchester and Hampshire but from all over the country to this special event, which has been happening in one form or another every year since 1983!” said FoKAB founder and chairman James Freeman.

Recently, pictures have emerged of the fleet’s unique refurbishment in Nigeria. These trains, it is revealed, will be deployed on the new Red Line of the Lagos Metro, a surprising move that sees HSTs being used on an intensive urban metro service - with the carriages receiving longitudinal seating.

Rather than new seats, it seems Lagos Metro are just reusing the old GWR ones instead! Comfy!

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Christopher and Chester: pure friendship

All aboard!