GRASPING THE OPPORTUNITY

INSIDE TRACK

Bus lanes on Maid Marian Way in Nottingham. Will Bus Back Better deliver more priority measures across the country?
ALAN MILLAR

With the launch of the national bus strategy ‘Bus Back Better,’ the government has signalled that it means business. This is not a polite, back-slapping endorsement of old chums, this is the government making clear to bus operators and local authorities alike that much of what has become common practice over the last 35 years isn’t acceptable and must change.

But I am worried that at our industry doesn’t want to hear this message, and at this crucial time we risk finding ourselves on the wrong side of the argument.

Over the last couple of months, I have taken part in a range of debates and discussions with colleagues. It’s clear that there are some who see the opportunity that the strategy presents – even if not all are ready to break ranks and say so publicly. But sadly, the most common reaction I have seen so far is a sense of denial, a collective sticking of heads in the sand and a perception that if we wish hard enough, it will all go away.

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