COVID-19 funding gap filled… for now
It would make no sense for Government to cut COVID-19 funding life support for light rail systems whilst it is rightly investing millions every week on expanding and renewing them. This time, Government funding to close the gap caused by coronavirus on bus and tram had run out before a new funding deal was put […]
COVID-19 and urban transport – the message, the money & the future
The message We’ve had the first weekend in England since the latest easing of COVID-19 and now the first working week has begun. Early signs are that public transport patronage is picking up sharply but it’s too early to say at the time of writing to what extent this will stretch the capacity of public […]
A first draft of the future?
Once more unto the breach Not all the details are clear at the time of writing but we do now have a funding support package for light rail and buses to see us through the next three months. Subject to the fine print this is very welcome, and one doesn’t want to seem churlish about […]
Guidance unlocked – but not the funding
In the last week we have been sharing across the UTG network about how best to safely operate public transport networks where demand in some cases is already bumping up against, or exceeding, its socially distanced capacity. If the return to work becomes more pronounced this week then these challenges will become more acute. We […]
Funding, distancing and messaging – the three big recovery challenges
As we enter week seven of the lockdown, the challenges of preparing for a restart remain daunting. It’s hard to plan a public transport restart when at the start of the week we don’t know the phasing or the timing of any lockdown release; what the rules will be on social distancing or PPE; and […]
Beyond the lockdown – Steering the right course for urban transport
As we enter week six of the lockdown, the country is now turning its attention to when and how it should begin to be released. If the lockdown period was difficult for transport authorities to respond to – then the start-up could be harder still. We don’t know when the phasing out of the lockdown […]
Funding, sharing, recovery & legacy – a weekly blog post on urban transport and the COVID-19 crisis
Here are some Sunday morning reflections on where things stand for urban transport on the COVID-19 crisis as we prepare to begin another busy week. 1. We have done everything the Government has asked of us during the crisis – now we need the Government to stand behind us The Government’s overall strategy has been […]
Six tests for PM’s London-style vision
Boris Johnson wants transport in the rest of the UK’s metro areas to be a lot more like London and a lot less so so. So here’s six early indicators to watch out for that show whether we are on course for this… or not. 1. All the political big names love buses these days […]
Another green transport world
The weather is losing some of its British reserve. Changing from introversion to extroversion. Records are now there to be broken – and regularly. The hottest, the wettest, the most extreme. As the weather intensifies we need to expand the capabilities of transport infrastructure and its supporting built environment to cope. We have a problem […]
Getting beyond the MaaS hysteria
I don’t know about you but I’ve seen more than enough Power Points by now explaining with breathless excitement what Mobility as a Service (MaaS) is – as if no-one had ever heard about it before. And as if frequent repetition of the phrase in itself has alchemic properties which render immaterial base considerations as economics. […]