Monthly Archives: October 2024

Buses need more attention to detail

  Improving bus services requires more than a fare cap or a change of ownership – it’s all also about shelters, timetables and ticketing   The Azores were beautiful – but the bus service was confusing   There is no doubt that the almost universal £2 bus fare has been a great success in England and helped the industry push…

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There’s a buzz around franchising

  The new government is pushing ahead with a bus franchising revolution, but there are potential pitfalls that must be avoided   Franchising has already arrived in Greater Manchester   There’s a buzz around buses right now, and it is all about franchising. We’ve seen the first application of the franchising legislation used in Greater Manchester to bring buses back…

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Rail needs a reset – not just another sale

  The transport secretary has announced a ‘Rail Sale’ for early 2025. We need to be more radical in reducing costs and raising revenue   Marketing from train operator Greater Anglia during this year’s ‘Great British Rail Sale’   In announcing the trajectory towards rail renationalisation on September 3, one footnote towards the end of the press release was Louise…

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Calls to ‘Buy British’ increase at conference

A clear theme from the Labour Party conference was the growing demand for British bus manufacturers to be prioritised in public procurement   Alexander Dennis, one of the UK’s largest bus producers, recently announced a consultation that could threaten 160 jobs in Scotland   By Andrew Garnett Political pressure is mounting to adopt a ‘Buy British’ rule in bus procurement,…

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Halt ‘nonsensical’ road projects to save £10.5bn

Campaign for Better Transport urges transport secretary to divert funding to public transport as CPT calls for ‘immediate decision’ on £2 bus fare cap   Campaign for Better Transport has called for “large and unnecessary” road projects like the £9bn Lower Thames Crossing to be cancelled   Ahead of this month’s budget, Campaign for Better Transport has urged transport secretary…

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Friday Reads – 4 October 2024

• A first look at the new Piccadilly line trains being built in Yorkshire (IanVisits) • A nightmare journey on GWR (BusAndTrainUser) • US port strike ends as dockworkers near agreement (Quartz) • Riding Transit While Female (Vital City) • InnoTrans 2024 – The Overview (Urban Transport) • Car use on Dublin quays plummets with new traffic plan (RTÉ) •…

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McCulla Ireland “Keeps the Wheels Moving”

McCulla Ireland recently announced a £3.1m investment into its biogas fleet, strengthening the firm’s sustainability credentials and propelling the firm into the future. Amongst Ireland’s leading providers of frozen, chilled, and ambient logistics solutions, McCulla Ireland brings together the full spectrum of transportation, warehousing, and customs capabilities for clients across the UK, Ireland, and Europe. Pairing extensive industry experience with…

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UKWA Year of Warehousing Golf Challenge

Year of Warehousing Golf Challenge: Sunny skies and friendly competition as UKWA raises funds for Tempus Novo The UKWA Golf Challenge, held at the beautiful Belton Woods in Grantham last month proved one of the highlights of 2024 The Year of Warehousing, with members and guests enjoying blue skies and friendly competition. The highlight of the day was the closely…

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A Vision For The Future (2)

In Birmingham? It is some time since fbb carried an autonomous bus story as the genre has slipped from boundless enthusiasm to rather feeble trials and to a growing belief that it ain’t going to work. But here comes a new one. Note the headline, then note the text.  Key Birmingham bus route? The trial has not yet started. Also…

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Wrightbus Develops Long-Range Hydrogen Coach

Clean transport pioneer Wrightbus has appointed a leading industry name as its new Head of Coach Sales, as it continues its drive to develop a long-range hydrogen coach. David Porter, who has over three decades of experience in the coach industry with Volvo and Van Hool, joined Wrightbus earlier this month. “I’m excited to join Wrightbus at this pivotal moment, and I’m…

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