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.
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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.
Apply for a BCoE-supported delegate place...
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.
Please apply for your ticket before 1 May. Successful applicants will be contacted shortly after this. A waiting list will be held for unsuccessful applicants.
Programme
Please note the programme is currently under development
09.00
Registration
Tea & coffee served in the Function Room exhibition area
10.00
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
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Session led by: Leon Daniels, Advisory Board Chair, Bus Centre of Excellence
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Rethinking rural transport provision needs a partnership approach between Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), other public bodies, public transport operators and community groups.
By working together these organisations can create an integrated approach which brings together transport service planning and management across a range of service types
11.00
Morning break
Tea & coffee served in the Function Room exhibition area
11.30
Room B
Breakout 1:
Operational bus models for less densely-populated places
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Chair: Alison Edwards, Director of Policy and External Relations, CPT
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Cornwall’s Enhanced Partnership
Gemma Hall, Integrated Network & Partnerships Manager, Cornwall Council
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Norfolk Enhanced Partnership
Niki Park, Head of Passenger Transport, Norfolk County Council
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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
Room E
Breakout 2:
How buses can stimulate the rural economy
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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
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How support and investment in rural services by urban authorities can bring substantial benefits across boundaries
Dan Pearman, City Transport Director, Leicester City Council
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
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Chair: Helen Morris, Head of Integrated Passenger Transport Unit, Essex County Council
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Integrating different transport provision to support services through reduction in cost and increased efficiency
Caroline Whitney, England Director, Community Transport Association (CTA) and local authority presenters
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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)
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Room E
Breakout 4:
Supporting regeneration, housing and growth
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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, and
Marco Picardi, Planning Team, Department for Transport
Traws Cymru Virtual Stations and innovative fare pricing
Cathryn Jones, Associate, Systra
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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
Speakers
Leon Daniels OBE
Chair of Advisory Board
Bus Centre of Excellence
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Gemma Hall
Integrated Network & Partnerships Manager
Cornwall Council
Trevor Brennan
Transport Implementation Lead
England's Economic Heartland (EEH)
Sharon Payne
Regional Rural Mobility Manager
Rural Mobility Centre of Excellence
Nick Small
Head of Built Environment & Infrastructure
Go-Ahead Group​
Stephen Joseph OBE
Visiting Professor
Smart Mobility Unit, University of Hertfordshire
Niki Park
Head of Passenger Transport
Norfolk County Council
Clare Waldron
Associate Director
ITP
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Rob Singleton
Head of Planning, Housing and Transport
Department for Transport
Charlie Hamilton
Partner
Grant Thornton
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Alison Edwards
Director of Policy and External Relations
CPT
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Renee van Baar
Principal Transport Planner
Midlands Connect
Caroline Whitney
England Director
Community Transport Association (CTA)
Cathryn Jones
Associate Director
SYSTRA
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Dan Pearman
City Transport Director
Leicester City Council
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