After Press: The Passenger Transport podcast

This week Robert and Andrew discuss calls by a broad coalition for prime minister Boris Johnson to restore confidence in public transport, this week's loosening of social distancing restrictions, Andy Burnham placing buses at the heart of his second term as mayor of Greater Manchester, how big data can help operators and local authorities identify the best locations for bus priority measures, and how public transport needs to 'fight smart'.

This week Robert and Andrew discuss how councils in England have been warned not to treat Bus Service Improvement Plans as a “tick-box exercise”. They also discuss research by Edinburgh Napier University that suggests the pandemic will deter the public from using buses and trains, our interview with Transdev Blazefield CEO Alex Hornby and a new campaign that aims to press the government to back post-pandemic public transport.

This week Robert and Andrew discuss the decision by Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, to end the deregulated system for buses that has been in place since 1986. They also question whether £3bn will be enough for England's new National Bus Strategy.

This week Robert and Andrew discuss the government’s National Bus Strategy... Is this the end of deregulation? Will future funding match the huge ambition? And why does Boris Johnson “love” buses so much?

This week Robert and Andrew discuss insights from Passenger Transport’s survey of passenger transport professionals, Laura Shoaf’s claim that “public transport is social justice” and Scotland’s new target to cut car kilometres by 20% by 2030

This week Robert and Andrew discuss whether Covid can be a defining moment and plans for a mini-Switzerland in South East Wales instead of spending £1.4bn on the M4 motorway. There's also a sneak preview of Andrew's interview with Transdev Blazefield CEO Alex Hornby, fresh from relaunching the Witchway and CityZap brands.

This week Robert and Andrew discuss Stagecoach UK boss Carla Stockton-Jones being "incredibly optimistic" about the future and comments by transport minister Baroness Vere. There's also a panel discussion featuring Jane Cole of Blackpool Transport, Ralph Roberts of McGill's and CitySwift's Brian O'Rourke.

This week Robert and Andrew discuss how the CPT's plea for £500m and 'Recovery Partnerships' and the Urban Transport Group's response, the perils of predicting the future and what automated motorway driving could mean for the railway

This week Robert and Andrew discuss how the UITP's assertion that "public transport is Covid-safe", the malign influence of the Treasury, whether the government really wants to take over TfL and transport professionals becoming more "spikey"

This week Robert and Andrew discuss how the second wave of Covid-19 could threaten the public transport industry, the recently announced Union Connectivity Review and should we get angry at the 'selfish' motoring lobby?