The announcement by the Roads Minister Richard Holden, on March 24th, that the Bus Centre of Excellence had been established to pioneer the next generation of bus professionals, must be one of the most significant and positive initiatives that the UK bus and coach industry has seen over the last 37 years since the bus industry was deregulated back in 1066, oh sorry 1986 (although it almost seems like 1066).
Supported by an investment of £815,000 by the Department for Transport, in partnership with the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Centre of Excellence has brought together some of the leading lights in the UK bus industry, along with key partners from local government, and key representative groups, with a clear and simple remit: to get the good folk of this great nation, quite simply, back on the bus where they belong.
This could not come at a better time, as bus networks have seriously declined for a combination of socioeconomic reasons over recent decades. Ironically, however, the pandemic clearly underpinned the essential role that the bus has to play in keeping the nation moving and in business. The purpose of the BCoE is many and varied, but essentially it is there to help to instigate greener, cleaner, and ultimately cheaper bus networks. Equally important will be the development of key skills to support not only for the next generation of bus leaders but also to enhance the capabilities of those presently tasked with delivering services across the land at present.
Many will consider this as the essential missing link, as both bus operators and especially local authorities have struggled to find people equipped with the right skills, so this key ingredient will be welcomed across the spectrum of all those involved in the bus industry. The advisory board will be lead by bus guru Leon Daniels, OBE, a highly-respected and popular figure across the industry and beyond. The ultimate aim of the Centre will also be to improve the passenger experience as an ongoing process.
There is no doubt that the bus sector has excellent examples of best practice, but this really does give for the first time, a bespoke one-stop-shop for all to share. Not just in terms of training, but equally across all elements of the industry, from marketing to engineering. It should become the Sandhurst of the bus industry, in terms of delivering vision, excellence, and leadership.
On a personal level, I am both proud and excited at the possibilities and potential that the Bus Centre of Excellence can provide the future of the industry, that has long since been plagued by challenges. It had nobly attempted to innovate to survive. But this, along with the other recent worthy initiatives (such as Bus Service Improvement Plans, and the £2.00 flat bus fare cap) gives the industry at long last the chance to really show what it is truly capable of delivering to the people of this nation. Ultimately, it can only be a force for good.
Austin Birks, FCILT.
Chairman of the Bus and Coach Forum of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport