Moving on up…

Jonathan Welch begins his report from the ALBUM conference in Warrington, where the theme this year was ‘moving on up’

There can’t be many people in the industry who haven’t heard of ALBUM, the Association of Local Bus Company Managers – and even fewer who read CBW, given that we previewed the organisation’s annual conference two issues ago. ALBUM is an association which exists to provide a forum for small and medium bus operator members – those outside the auspices of the big groups – to exchange best practice, to influence policy and respond to Governement consultations, and for the promotion of high quality services that encourage, we hope, more people to travel by bus.

ALBUM currently has around 150 members nationwide, representing municipal and independent bus operators, and has separate marketing, engineering, finance and operation focus groups which meet regularly. There are also a large number of associate members, namely the suppliers who support the industry.

Following a hugely successful event last year hosted by Lothian Buses in the heart of its home city, Edinburgh, this year’s conference moved south to be hosted by another municipal, this time Warrington’s Own Buses. Unlike in Edinburgh, this year’s conference was held some distance away from its host’s home base, in the rather grandiose and swanky surroundings of Carden Park, a sprawling country house hotel, spa and golf complex located a short drive south-west from Warrington, between Chester and Wrexham.

Spread over three days, the first day, Monday 22 April, featured an ice-breaking golf event for those so minded, sponsored by Allison Transmission and Equans, followed by a depot visit to view Warrington’s new home for its future electric fleet of 105 Volvo BZL electric buses, with the added bonus of travel by heritage bus from Carden Park. Sponsored by Volvo, MCV and Passenger, there was also time for more networking and socialising opportunities in the form of a comedy evening. We’re told that the day, and the evening’s entertainment, was enjoyed by many, as were the Tuesday and Wednesday evening options too; Tuesday featured a ‘Family Fortunes’ event and dinner, sponsored by Adverta and Allison Transmission, whilst the ‘End of the Show Show’ gala dinner on Wednesday was also popular, offering a three course dinner, an interesting after-dinner speaker and an 80’s DJ, sponsored by Marketing Bees.

But as interesting as the social side of these events is (and it’s always welcome, and often very productive, to be able to catch up with colleagues from across the industry in a less formal setting), CBW’s focus was on the presentations by knowledgeable industry minds, as well as catching up with suppliers and our own contacts across the industry; if I didn’t get around to you, I’m sorry, as always there were so many people to speak to, and there’s never quite enough time to meet everyone.

An electric welcome

The conference was hosted by former BBC Northwest Tonight Chief Reporter Dave Guest, a familiar face to regular attendees. Naturally, Dave carried out his duties with aplomb, and opened the two days of discussions by welcoming attendees and promising ‘an exciting couple of days with inspiring speakers providing food for thought,’ as well as thanking the event’s main sponsors, which included Alexander Dennis, Asset Alliance Group, EO Charging, Pelican Bus & Coach, and Volvo, along with local Volvo dealer Thomas Hardie Commercials.

Dave also recalled that his first time hosting the event had also been in Warrington in 2007, and reflected on how the industry has changed in the intervening years, and has ‘huge changes’ still ahead.

Dave’s welcome was echoed by the first two speakers: ALBUM Chair Bill Hiron and Warrington’s Own Buses Managing Director Ben Wakerley.

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Bill highlighted the number of suppliers and exhibitors present, spread across three neighbouring rooms, which he said demonstrates the importance of the event in helping bring businesses together. He reflected on the huge challenges facing the industry, which he said also represent a great opportunity for it, warning that courage would be needed to address the technical and political challenges ahead if we are to progress change and adapt; franchising, changes to BSOG, a difficult labour market and supply chain issues are some of the hurdles to overcome, not to mention shifts in customer expectations and new technologies.

Whilst these issues are industry-wide, their impacts are more likely to be felt in the SME sector which ALBUM represents than in the big groups, he cautioned, adding that the industry is resilient, and that the 100th anniversary of one ALBUM member isn’t the first, and won’t be the last. “There are significant hurdles,” he said, but he was confident that the industry could work together towards a bold and strong future.

Unsurprisingly, Ben went on to speak with fervour about Warrington’s new ‘future-ready’ depot, where only a matter of weeks ago it held the official launch of its new fleet of 105 electric buses; these are yet to be delivered, but the Volvo demonstrator used at that event was also on show at Carden Park, and Ben explained how work was continuing to prepare the depot for their arrival.

The new depot is an example of the forward-thinking mentality that Dave mentioned in his introduction, said Ben, highlighting the close working relationship the operator enjoys with its majority shareholder Warrington Borough Council, which for its part has provided supporting bus priorities.

Given the theme of the conference was ‘moving on up’ Ben hailed the close partnerships with Volvo, EO Charging and Warrington Borough Council as a prime example of how to move on and up. He made a vital point which many other operators and authorities will need to remember too: the availability of government funding is great, he said, “but it’s no good unless you have someone with the time and skill to apply for it.”

Ben also extolled some of the great work the operator has done in improving its services and making them more accessible by reducing fares, among other measures. We detailed much of that in issue 1618 alongside our coverage of the Volvo BZL launch.

“Never underestimate the importance of the bus on people’s lives,” Ben concluded, adding that “we’re never going to crack the climate emergency unless we change dramatically.”

Stakeholder support

As Ben put it, it was a sign of the strength of support shown by Warrington Borough Council that Chief Executive Steven Broomhead was at the event. Steven explained that the council has lost some 70% of its revenue funding since 2010, and as such has had to make some difficult decisions. Nonetheless, investing in the town’s buses was a “simple business case decision,” he explained, adding that the Council is “really pleased that the bus company is in profit and the Council is receiving a significant dividend for its work.”

An interesting point made by Steven was that the taxi trade seems to be heading in the opposite direction to buses, with a form of deregulation occasioned by the growth of Uber; it’s something to keep a careful eye on, he said, before raising the question: what difference does a good bus service make when it comes to social needs?

“Warrington is equidistant to Manchester and Leeds,” he stated, “and is far too car dependent.” But he added that the town’s bus service was already boosting its appeal to inward investors. “We can show them what we’ve done already,” he pointed out, before the new fleet even arrives.

The council’s Service Manager Steve Hunter echoed Steven’s thoughts. “Warrington is very well located,” he explained. “It’s prosperous and well-connected but that brings a down side; car dependency and congestion. Warrington’s buses had a huge loss of passengers up to 2016, and a spiral of cuts and fare rises.”

The situation had stabilised by the pandemic, he said, but that has now left the town (like many others) having to work hard to recover. “Buses are critical to our local transport plan,” he went on to say, “and it’s very important that we deliver on that plan.”

According to the 2011 census, 74% of local commuters used a car, and just 5.6% used the bus, he said, figures which he’d like to see shift to 60% and 15% by the time of the 2041 census. Trebling bus use and reducing car dependency are key to Warrington’s plans to tackle the climate emergency. These plans are even more ambitious given that Warrington receives around a quarter of the funding that neighbouring Liverpool and Manchester do, Steve added, but although starting from a difficult base, he believes that huge strides have already been made.

One example he gave was that by boosting evening services, Warrington’s Own Buses has also seen patronage grow on afternoon services.

People

The afternoon saw the focus shift, and the first speaker of the session was Karen Camillieri of specialist recruitment agency Camillieri Appointments. “People make or break it” was the key tenet of her discourse, “and getting it right is fundamental.” Using her own experience, she warned of the dangers of unconscious bias when recruiting, and drew from her own experiences, having set up her recruitment business in 2019 and gone on to specialise in the transport sector.

Adaptability, empathy and resilience are all skills which have served her well, she said, and they are ones which all employers should be looking for. The transport industry can be a difficult one.

She outlined her way of working, and how it differs from the ‘traditional’ recruitment approach. “I don’t do CVs,” she said, giving food for thought to listeners and prompting them to ponder how they might approach it differently too, at all levels of their businesses. A big reminder too that, despite some people bemoaning the loss of ‘bus people,’ sector experience does not always equate to expertise; experience could have been gained in a different time and place, and might not translate to the here and now, she said, whilst someone from another industry might indeed bring transferrable skills and a new eye to a problem.

“Many interpersonal skills transcend sectors,” she said, adding that diverse experience can lead to innovative thinking, and that it’s important to step outside your own comfort zone sometimes when recruiting, to avoid only recruiting ‘people like you.’

Another key point was to remind companies that their approach to recruitment needs to match their stated aims when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion. “Organisations that innovate have a bigger chance of succeeding,” she concluded, and as bigger firms cut back, smaller ones have less bureaucracy surrounding their decision making, can compete and understand people better, she said.

There followed a short break, during which I had time to wander over to some of the trade exhibitors, including a quick catch-up with new and familiar faces, including the always friendly team from fabric specialists Camira and CCTV supplier Timespace, which was showing its new V700 network video recorder (NVR), capable of supporting up to 20 high-definition cameras and which allows integration with other on-vehicle systems as well as permitting live camera streams, remote footage download, CCTV health and vehicle tracking. “Our V700 gives forward-thinking fleet operators a high-quality, UK-made, future-proof option,” explained Henry Heylen, Timespace’s Commercial Director. “Our best-selling DVR, the V400, is now installed in tens of thousands of vehicles worldwide. The V700 builds on the V400’s reputation for quality, reliability and longevity, and is a great choice for operators recognising the benefits of investing in high-quality vehicle CCTV.”

“ALBUM is a key event in our calendar” added colleague Karen Heylen, Timespace’s Head of Communications. “We really value the opportunity to show our product range to a the bus and coach companies, and to network with other exhibitors and the conference speakers.”

The general mood among exhibitors was one of positivity and, as last year, they were pleased to be able to get out and meet existing and potential customers in a relatively intimate environment, away from the big shows.

Is change easy?

Resuming the conference, next up was Iain Smith of Women in Transport. The irony was not lost on him, of course, and he started with a light-hearted but serious comment reminding listeners that it’s not just for women, and that diversity, equality and inclusion encompasses everyone; allys are important to have.

Discussing how easy change is, Iain asked the audience to consider areas in which they might improve. “Every bit of advice I give, I could take myself,” he said insightfully, before going on to explain a little more about what Women in Transport is about. Picking up similar themes to those raised by Karen earlier, he said it was important for leaders to know what they stand for and what they bring.

And for those unsure as to why networks like Women in Transport are needed, he said: “If you want to be better at something, you join a community or a club. You learn together, practice and keep at it,” adding that good training takes time.

Up next was the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s Alison Edwards, who opened with the hard-hitting line: “The next six months will be the most politically important the industry has seen in decades.” A Labour government is looking increasingly likely, she said, and as a result Labour’s shadow transport secretary Louise Haigh has been increasing her level of engagement with the sector; that’s good to see, and it’s important that the sector engages to ensure she has the best possible understanding of its needs; a one-size-fits-all policy approach is no good.

Whilst it remains to be seen what the future will hold post-election, Alison said that it seems clear that there will be a greater role for local authorities in public transport regardless of who wins. Whatever happens, “I know we are all looking at how we can provide the best possible service,” she said. The CPT is also acutely aware of the worry among small and medium operators over what franchising could mean for their businesses, Alison told us. “For large operators, it’s just a geographical reorganisation. We will work with ALBUM to make sure the SME sector is being represented.

“What matters to the passengers doesn’t change regardless,” she reminded us, “and the CPT’s priority is to make sure that the bus is well-placed to help deliver other policy areas such as health.” The priority for any future government, she said, will be getting better value rather than more money, and the industry has to weigh up carefully what is viable and what is possible.

Another key point was the importance of sending a single message in a unified voice to any future government. “We need to make clear to all politicians that we all gain when someone takes the bus,” Alison said, adding that although the Government spends some £400m per year directly funding buses, a lack of clarity for the future undermines confidence. “A clear future stream of income will build confidence and help give operators time to develop new routes,” she pointed out; the earlier example of Warrington growing afternoon ridership thanks to new evening routes shows what can be done with the right support.

Planning ahead

Echoing the concerns of many, Alison said that the end of the £2 fare scheme in England at the end of the year would be a difficult period for lots of operators and passengers alike, especially given the projected timing of a general election. “There are a wide range of trade-offs to consider,” she warned. “There may be a better value for money way to help passengers, but we’re not going to be able to come up with a solution alone. We need the Government to come up with a clear plan. CPT will continue to work on options but the question cannot be left until after the general election. We need to know now what the future will look like,” she said, suggesting that a short term extension might be the appropriate short term answer.

Returning to the issue of bus priority, another which host Warrington is investing in, Alison bemoaned the fact that bus speeds now average just 10.1mph. Reversing the trend could be transformational, she said, suggesting that a 10% increase in speed could increase the number of passengers by 2% as well as deliver important cost savings. The CPT is therefore calling on the next government, of whatever colour, to increase bus speeds by 10% over the course of its term.

On a more positive note, Alison noted the great strides made in ‘greening’ the nationwide fleet, which, she said, was a sign that government investment is paying off; figures show that every £1 of government money invested through ZEBRA has leveraged £2.50 of private investment, she said.

The workforce is another key element and one which was covered by many speakers as a key element to the ‘moving on up’ agenda, and it was a stone that Alison didn’t leave unturned either; the CPT has put forward a number of proposals to help the driver shortage, including revisions to driver training regimes, she told us.

Bringing the first day of the conference to a close (keep an eye out for next week’s issue, when we’ll delve into the final day, covering important topics such as safety and policy), Alison concluded that there were lots of positives to highlight in the sector, and that the SMEs which make up ALBUM’s members were a valuable part of the economy.

As the day drew to a close, I found time to have a quick catch-up with a few more suppliers before many of those present headed off to enjoy the evening’s entertainment.

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