What is in store for buses following the general election? Jonathan Welch speaks to Leon Daniels about what the future might bring
Whether you’re an avid fan of politics, or think it’s just something that happens over your head, at some point what goes on in Westminster, and in the devolved parliaments of the United Kingdom, will affect us all, both professionally and personally.
None of the political parties were particularly vocal on the subject of bus or coach in the run up to the election, and it remains to be seen, at the time of writing, whether any big or bold new policies will be announced or whether the status quo will, for the time being, continue largely unchanged. One thing we do know, is that Labour is keen on extending franchising opportunities to permit any local authority to switch to the system, rather than restricting the option to metro mayors as has been the case up to now.
New Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has promised to kick-start a ‘bus revolution,’ but will it – can it – be a revolution, or is it more likely to be an evolution? If TfGM’s publicity is to be believed, then franchising is working there. A recent announcement trumpeted, amongst other things, that ‘locally controlled buses are outperforming the commercial network, with more reliable buses attracting more passengers’ though a cynic might suspect that TfGM has an agenda to stick to when announcing the success of its franchising process; it’s probably worth noting that in the past, the organisation has not responded to CBW enquiries as to why many of the benefits not being cited could not have been actioned in partnership with commercial operators and required a franchised system. On the other hand, when visiting Manchester, it’s impossible not to be impressed by the speed that the yellow fleet is taking over, and the homogenous image that is starting to emerge. That can only be a benefit to users.
One well-known and respected industry figure with a unique perspective on the election results and the way forwards is Leon Daniels. Having spent a long time at FirstGroup, where he was Commercial Director for its UK Bus division, including developing new ventures such as Aircoach, Greyhound, the yellow school bus project as well as the much-debated ‘ftr,’ Leon moved to Transport for London in 2011 as its Managing Director for Surface Transport. Awarded an OBE for Services to Transport in Her Majesty the Queen’s 2019 New Year’s Honours List, Leon now runs a transport consultancy, and hosts his popular ‘Lunch with Leon’ podcast.
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