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The bus is the UK's main form of public transport. Find out more about how the industry works, the case for investing in bus and what we are doing to make bus services better
Bus Policy Briefing
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What's driving bus patronage demand?
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The cross-sector benefits of backing the bus
YourNext Bus real time display West Yorkshire
Bus Punctuality - towards a structure that can deliver
 

Resources

About towns: How transport can help towns thrive

November, 2018

This report examines the key role that transport interventions can play in supporting post-industrial towns.

It features case studies from the UK and the wider world of how different types of interventions - from transport’s role as an ‘anchor institution’ for local economies and as an employer, through to how transport interchanges can act as ‘gateways’ and sources of civic pride and renewal -  can achieve results.

A key finding of the report is that isolated capital interventions in transport infrastructure are insufficient in themselves. Instead, more co-ordinated programmes of transport capital and revenue investment and support are needed if towns are to truly thrive. 

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Topic: 
Bus
Regional and Urban Rail
Active Travel
Governance
Social inclusion
Sustainability

Policy futures for urban transport

September, 2018

The latest edition of Policy futures for urban transport emphasises how a new deal on funding and powers is essential to keep the UK's cities moving forward.

The report sets out the 10 key policy changes that are needed to make cities healthier, fairer and more prosperous.

These include further devolution of rail services; greater funding for buses; reform of taxi and Private Hire Vehicle legislation; an ambitious strategy to encourage more cycling and walking; a long term investment plan for urban rail services; and a visionary national policy framework on air quality.

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Topic: 
Bus
Regional and Urban Rail
Tram
Active Travel
Funding
Governance
Social inclusion
Sustainability
Health and Wellbeing
Freight
Smart Futures
Capacities and Capabilities

Number crunch: Transport trends in the city regions

April, 2018

Our report, Number crunch: Transport trends in the city regions, identifies some of the most defining patterns of the past decade (and projected future trends) that are changing the face of the UK’s city regions, and the way that people travel within them.

Ageing urban populations, rapid bus passenger decline and huge growth in private hire vehicles are just some of the dramatic shifts taking place in UK cities.

The report draws on data from our unique, free and interactive online tool ‘Data Hub’, which allows users to generate bespoke analysis, graphics and charts of transport, economic and population data.

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Topic: 
Bus
Regional and Urban Rail
Tram
Active Travel
Funding
Freight
Smart Futures
Capacities and Capabilities

Policy Futures

September, 2017

Policy futures for urban transport sets out how, with more focused governance in place, the city regions are delivering major investment programmes including on public transport, highways and active travel, and smart ticketing. The report says that - with the right national policy framework - further and faster progress can be made, including:

  • ensuring that the benefits of transformative technological change are maximised including new ways of paying for access to transport, connected and autonomous vehicles and data;
  • that barriers between different sectors are broken down so that the benefits that transport can bring to achieving wider policy goals - in areas like health, employment and education - are fully realised.

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Topic: 
Bus
Regional and Urban Rail
Active Travel
Funding
Governance
Social inclusion
Sustainability
Health and Wellbeing
Freight
Smart Futures
Capacities and Capabilities

The Scandinavian way to better public transport

August, 2017

‘The Scandinavian Way to Better Public Transport’ shows how transport authorities in three Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark and Norway) are using devolved powers to transform public transport for the better - and sets out the lessons that the UK could learn.

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Topic: 
Bus

Pages

Concessionary Travel: The funding timebomb for PTEs

November, 2012
The English National Concessionary Travel Scheme has been highly successful in giving older and disabled people the freedom of free off‐peak bus travel. But the costs of the scheme are rising fast whilst funding is falling. This financial ‘timebomb’ will lead to severe cuts in other frontline transport services unless a sustainable funding solution can be found.
Document: 
PDF icon CT briefing final.pdf
Topic: 
Bus
Funding
Concessionary Travel
Social inclusion

Pages

Ticket to Thrive: The role of urban public transport in tackling unemployment

February, 2015

This report reveals the vital role of public transport, and the bus in particular, in enabling people to find and sustain employment. Some 77% of jobseekers in British cities outside London do not have regular access to a car, van or motorbike and can face significant barriers to work as a result. The report finds that these barriers include expensive public transport tickets; poorly connected employment sites; mismatches between working hours and available transport; and limited travel horizons. It recommends seven key policies that could help overcome these obstacles, including: a new funding deal to enable local councils to protect lifeline bus services and connect people to opportunity; more effective powers over bus services for local transport authorities, offering them greater control over where and when buses run and the affordability of fares; a review of the potential for an adequately funded national jobseeker and apprentice travel concession.

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Topic: 
Bus
Social inclusion

Oxford SmartZone

February, 2015

In 2011, the two main bus operators in the city of Oxford introduced an inter-operable smart ticketing system known as the SmartZone. Meanwhile, many other parts of the country have faced significant challenges in attempting to introduce inter-operable smart ticketing in deregulated bus markets. The Oxford system has therefore attracted considerable attention and it has been suggested that it could offer valuable lessons for other areas. This paper explains the context within which the scheme was developed and describes the key features of bus ticketing in the city of Oxford and in its wider travel to work area. The paper then compares the Oxford system with the aspirations of Passenger Transport Executives (PTEs).

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Topic: 
Bus

Making the connections: The cross-sector benefits of supporting bus services

July, 2014

The bus is key to achieving 46 policy goals of 12 of the 24 Departments across Whitehall including the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Treasury, Department of Health, Department for Education and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This report shows how, despite these cross sector benefits, all the main forms of funding for bus services are under severe pressure and sets out how bus funding can be reformed.

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Topic: 
Bus
Funding
Social inclusion
Sustainability
Health and Wellbeing

Changing Highways Policy

February, 2014

This report to pteg by Atkins focuses on the most important recent and forthcoming changes to highways policy and the implications of these for Metropolitan areas, including in respect of air quality, carbon emissions, technology, the Strategic Road Network, road maintenance, road safety, planning, freight, management of road space and parking policy.

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Topic: 
Bus
Active Travel
Governance
Sustainability
Freight

LSTF Monitoring and Evaluation Guidance - Final Report

May, 2013

Building on the work of the Department for Transport, pteg commissioned AECOM to prepare additional guidance for PTEs and other Local Transport Authorities to assist in the monitoring and evaluation of Local Sustainable Transport Fund projects. The guidance provides a practical approach to developing cost effective and affordable monitoring and evaluation programmes.

PDF icon Download Full Report
Topic: 
Bus
Regional and Urban Rail
Active Travel
Funding
Social inclusion
Sustainability
Health and Wellbeing

Pages

Pages

South Yorkshire transport chief is new Chair of Urban Transport Group

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Stephen Edwards, the Executive Director of South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), is the new Chair of the Urban Transport Group.

His appointment follows the end of the two-year term of outgoing Chair Tobyn Hughes, Managing Director at Nexus.

Topic: 
Bus
Competition Commission Inquiry
Regional and Urban Rail
Rail regulation
Tram
Active Travel
Funding
Concessionary Travel
Governance
Social inclusion
Sustainability
Health and Wellbeing
Freight
Smart Futures
Capacities and Capabilities

New deal on funding and powers essential to keep cities moving forward, stresses Urban Transport Group

Thursday, September 13, 2018

 

Further devolution of rail services, greater funding for buses and reform of taxi and Private Hire Vehicle legislation – these are just three parts of a new deal on funding and powers that is required to keep the UK’s cities moving forward.

Topic: 
Bus
Regional and Urban Rail
Tram
Active Travel
Funding
Governance
Sustainability
Health and Wellbeing
Freight
Smart Futures
Capacities and Capabilities

Pages

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