Better buses, more services: £3 billion boost for millions of passengers
Millions of passengers across the UK are set to benefit from faster, cheaper and more reliable buses after the government announced a £3 billion boost for services and infrastructure. Multi-year funding will give councils the freedom to spend their allocations in whatever way they see fit, whether it is lowering the prices of fares, introducing new routes […]
Bus operators challenge politicians to tackle traffic jams and drive Scotland forward
Bus and coach operators are urging politicians to tackle Scotland’s chronic traffic congestion in order to speed up journeys, boost public transport and benefit the economy. In a manifesto to be launched on Monday at the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s Scotland conference in Edinburgh, the industry calls for steps to enable faster, greener and safer […]
Longer waits at bus stops if business taxes go up in the Budget
Bus and coach operators have warned the Treasury that after being hit by substantial cost pressure over the last year, they cannot absorb any further tax hits without cutting day-to-day bus services. Buses carry 11 million passengers a day. Passengers arriving by bus spend almost £40 billion a year in shops, cafes, restaurants and leisure […]
CPT announces Kathryn Pulham as President for 2026
The Confederation of Passenger Transport has announced that Kathryn Pulham will be taking on the role of CPT President from 29th January 2026. Kathryn will take the reins from Paul Lynch who has served as CPT President for the past two years. Kathryn has over 17 years’ experience in the bus and coach industry, having […]
“A significant opportunity to deliver differently” – reactions to the Comprehensive Spending Review
The transport sector is reacting to the Government’s Spending Review, in which Chancellor Rachel Reeves has committed to spending £24bn of capital funding to road maintenance between 2026 and 2030, Rachel Ellison, advisory and programme development managing director for UK and Europe at Mott MacDonald, has responded: “Plans to spend £113bn on infrastructure provides certainty to […]
CPT issue statement on Second Reading of the Bus Services Bill in the House of Commons
The Second Reading of the Bus Services Bill is taking place in the House of Commons on Monday 2nd June. The Confederation of Passenger Transport has been working closely with the Department for Transport on behalf of bus operators and the wider industry. Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, said: “Bus […]
Bus operators call for action to tackle badly co-ordinated streetworks
Poorly planned and badly co-ordinated streetworks are having an enormous impact on bus and coach services nationwide according to research by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT). Mismanaged streetworks are leading to punctuality problems, complaints from passengers, services being cancelled altogether, long diversionary routes, administrative costs and financial penalties for operators. Utility companies are supposed […]
Highways industry responds to Chancellor’s speech
Yesterday’s Chancellor’s speech on Government plans for long-term economic growth included a range of commitments on infrastructure. Several senior and prominent figures from the highways sector have issued their responses and a selection of them are included below. Ian Edwards, President and CEO of AtkinsRéalis who was present in Oxfordshire for Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ speech […]
CPT calls for exemption of Closed-Door School Services from Bus Open Data
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has called on the Government to exempt closed-door school services from Bus Open Data (BODS) requirements. In a paper shared with the Department for Transport, CPT argues that current regulations place an unnecessary burden on operators of these services, leading to increased costs, administrative complexity, andpotential safety concerns. Key […]
Minister for Local Transport pledges to end ‘cycle of decline’ in bus travel
Buses and coaches are central to the Government’s mission of kickstarting economic growth according to a keynote address to the CPT Conference by the Minister for Local Transport. Addressing more than 150 representatives of the bus and coach industry in London today, Simon Lightwood MP pledged to reverse a long-term decline in the number of […]