Out now: Issue 305 of Passenger Transport

Issue 305 of Passenger Transport is published on January 26.
Contents include:

LEAD STORY

Labour – ‘No more tinkering on the edges’
With a general election drawing closer, shadow transport minister Simon Lightwood addressed bus and coach operators in London last week

NEWS

West Midlands probes bus ‘municipalisation’
West Midlands Combined Authority examines options to acquire local bus operators alongside its on-going assessment of bus franchising

Hughes reveals toll of Go North East strike
Dramatic fall in bus patronage reverses post-Covid gains

HS2 safeguarding lifted but purchases continue
Mark Harper lifts restrictions on West Midlands to Crewe

LNER steps back from minimum service rules
ASLEF cancels planned action in response to move

Council’s Section 114 puts buses in spotlight
Nottingham City Council moots cuts in bid to balance books

BSIP refresh will probe past funding successes
Update aims to probe past successes and foundations to 2029

KeolisAmey extends Metrolink contract
Contract extension aims to strengthen customer experience

Prince: ‘Whoever wins, please give us clarity’
Urban Transport Group director wants longer term thinking

Arriva amends Welsh timetables for 20mph
Bus operator’s most significant changes are on inter-urban routes, many of which now have longer end-to-end journey times after speed limit cut

Bus Partnership Fund pause disappoints CPT
Scottish Government pledged £500m – but has spent only £26.9m

NET ZERO

Major all-electric fleet launches in Oxford
£82.5m project will deliver 159 new buses and charging hubs

INNOVATION & TECH

Transdev to launch all-new app and website
Rise Digital Media will develop and maintain new platforms

COMMENT

Jonathan Bray: Lothian – municipal and entrepreneurial
Edinburgh is a city where every kind of person uses the bus and where everyone owns their local bus company, Lothian Buses

Alex Warner: Walking and public transport are allies
Walking is good for our mind and body, our environment and public transport. Hana Sutch of Go Jauntly wants to make it easy

Nick Richardson: Are buses dependent on the government?
With a variety of funding streams from government now supporting the industry, will the bus sector lose its independence?

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

CAREERS:

First’s focus on inclusivity
‘First Connections’ advocate network aims to foster diversity in the FirstGroup workforce

RECRUITMENT:

Director of Transport – Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Area Director, Midlands – Arriva

Network Manager, Wakefield – Arriva

Sites Manager, Castleford & Selby – Arriva

Driver Manager, Yorkshire & North East – Arriva

Head of Operations – Go North West

Business Manager – Safeguard Coaches

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