Quality Rural Bus 2025

What's going to be discussed?

Living in a rural area often means travelling longer distances for everyday journeys to work, school or to access healthcare and shops – and for many in rural areas, most such journeys are made by private car.

Along with increasing funding, innovation in transport technologies and services has the potential to enhance rural transport, support a higher quality of life for people in rural areas, and offer greater choice for how journeys are completed.

BCoE-supported delegate places

Event partner Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE) is generously funding a number of places for selected delegates to attend Quality Rural Bus 2025.

BCoE will be prioritising local authorities and there will be a maximum of one free ticket per organisation.

Applications are now closed

Applications closed

Conference Shuttle Bus

Supplied by:

Look for the Uno Pride bus, which will be the transportation for this event

Departures from Hatfield Station:

07.45

08.15

08.45

Departures from Fielder Centre:

16.45

17.15

17.45

Programme

Please note the programme is currently under development

09.00

Registration

Tea & coffee served in the Function Room exhibition area

10.00

11.00

Conference Room

Welcome from: Stephen Joseph, Visiting Professor, Smart Mobility Unit, University of Hertfordshire

Opening plenary: Rural buses’ key role in supporting growth and opportunity

Session led by: Leon Daniels, Advisory Board Chair, Bus Centre of Excellence

Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Department for Transport (video address)

Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations, CPT

Stephen Joseph, Visiting Professor, Smart Mobility Unit, University of Hertfordshire

Panel discussion and audience Q and A

Transport Committee inquiry into buses connecting communities

Alex Mayer, Labour MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, and a member of the House of Commons Transport Select Committee

11.15

Morning break

Tea & coffee served in the Function Room exhibition area

11.45

Room B

Breakout 1:
Operational bus models for less densely-populated places

Chair: Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations, CPT

Cornwall’s Enhanced Partnership

Gemma Hall, Integrated Network & Partnerships Manager, Cornwall Council

Norfolk Enhanced Partnership

Niki Park, Head of Passenger Transport, Norfolk County Council

Redesigning rural bus networks - can franchising work in rural areas?

Stephen Joseph, Smart Mobility Unit, University of Hertfordshire

Innovative service delivery models for rural bus services: Enhanced Partnerships and micro-franchising

Charlie Hamilton, Partner, Grant Thornton UK LLP

Panel discussion and audience Q and A

Room E

Breakout 2:
How buses can stimulate the rural economy

Chair: Alistair Kirkbride, Founder, Low Carbon Destinations

Buses and the rural visitor economy

Renee van Baar, Principal Transport Planner, Midlands Connect

Economic impact of local bus services within the EEH's rural hinterlands

Trevor Brennan, England’s Economic Heartland (EEH)

How might sustainable access to tourist destinations be achieved in rural south Cambridgeshire? An e-bus feasibility study for the Meldreth, Shepreth and Foxton Community Rail Partnership

Clare Waldron, Associate Director, ITP and James Ford, Senior Consultant, ITP

How support and investment in rural services by urban authorities can bring substantial benefits across boundaries

Dan Pearman, City Transport Director, Leicester City Council

Panel discussion and audience Q and A

13.00

Lunch break

Refreshments served in the Function Room exhibition area

14.00

Room B

Breakout 3:
Integrating rural transport options to provide a viable alternative to the private car

Chair: Helen Morris, Head of Integrated Passenger Transport Unit, Essex County Council

Integrating different transport provision to support services through reduction in cost and increased efficiency

Caroline Whitney, England Director, Community Transport Association (CTA) and Tim Christian,
General Manager, Ealing Community Transport

Case studies from Transport East, the national STB Centre of Excellence for Rural Mobility

Sharon Payne, Rural Mobility Manager, Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence (RMCoE)

Developing a framework to enhance commercially operated rural public transport in Ireland

Philip Kavanagh, and Davide Longhi, Transport Planners, National Transport Authority

Panel discussion and audience Q and A

Room D

Breakout 4: Better bus stops

Join Trueform and Campaign for Better Transport for an interactive roundtable session

Chair: Silviya Barrett, Director of Policy and Campaigns, Campaign for Better Transport

Speakers:

Robert Davis, Sustainable Travel Manager, Trueform

Ivan Bennett, Independent Consultant

Bus stops are critical pieces of infrastructure, providing an important link between passengers and bus services. When bus stops are comfortable and sheltered, with clear information on display, it makes catching the bus a pleasure and encourages more people on board. But too many bus stops are poorly-equipped, lacking even the most basic information.

In this session, we will discuss the potential for a national standard for bus stop infrastructure and information to give more people the confidence to take the bus, and what support local authorities need to upgrade bus stops in their area.

This session is limited to 20 participants so please arrive early...

Room E

Breakout 5:
Supporting sustainable growth and social inclusion
in rural areas

Chair: Jennie Martin, Chair, Bus Users UK

Bus services & new residential developments

Nick Small, Head of Built Environment & Infrastructure for Oxford Bus Company & Go South Coast, part of the Go-Ahead Group

The DfT Connectivity Tool

Rob Singleton, Head of Planning, Planning, Housing & Transport, Department for Transport

Traws Cymru Virtual Stations and innovative fare pricing

Cathryn Jones, Projects Director, SYSTRA

Panel discussion and audience Q and A

15.00

Afternoon break

Tea & coffee served in the Function Room exhibition area

15.30

Conference Room

Closing plenary: next steps for rural buses?

Session led by: Professor Peter White, University of Westminster

Panellists include:

Lydia Horbury, Director for England, Bus Users UK

Silviya Barrett, Director of Policy and Campaigns, Campaign for Better Transport

Damien Jones, Deputy Director for Transport Operations, Environment and Waste, Devon County Council and Chair, ATCO (Association of Transport Co-ordinating Officers)

David Charlesworth, Engagement Manager, Transport Focus

16:30

Event Close

Speakers