The Freewheeling Podcast

Vernon Everitt is Commissioner for Greater Manchester at a time of rapid (transformational?) change.

Manchester is the UK’s pioneer for re-regulating buses as part of a wider integrated Bee Network, which is intended to bring together buses, bikes, trains and trams.

On this week’s Freewheeling Podcast, we talk about how much has been done, what’s left to do, why Manchester has been able to move at such pace and whether there are obstacles holding them back.

We start by finding out if the Bee Network is simply a product of Vernon’s favourite colour being yellow…

Vernon Everitt is Commissioner for Greater Manchester at a time of rapid (transformational?) change.

Manchester is the UK’s pioneer for re-regulating buses as part of a wider integrated Bee Network, which is intended to bring together buses, bikes, trains and trams.

On this week’s Freewheeling Podcast, we talk about how much has been done, what’s left to do, why Manchester has been able to move at such pace and whether there are obstacles holding them back.

We start by finding out if the Bee Network is simply a product of Vernon’s favourite colour being yellow…

I bet, like me, you constantly hear references to what the Treasury thinks.

“The Treasury” sometimes seems to be a person in its own right, with its own opinions and culture.

How did the Treasury form its culture? How does the Treasury work? How does the Treasury think?

My guest this week, Katie-Lee English, spent a year working in the Treasury and talks to me about the things that have created the Treasury’s unique character.

Daniel Knowles is the Midwest Editor of The Economist. But when he spoke to me from Chicago, it was not about US politics but about cars.

His book Carmaggedon describes in acute, forensic detail why cars make life worse. Not just for people who don’t use them, but for people who do - and for the billions of people who currently don’t but wish they did.

His book is polemical in tone and, in this week’s edition, he tells me why cars really do make life worse for everyone and how we got here.

With a global perspective covering four continents, Daniel Knowles brings a unique view and rigorous research to a critical question: what are we going to do about it?

Almost three years to the day since the previous episode of The Freewheeling Podcast, I'm thrilled to tell you that I'll be back next week to start Season Two.

We've got a great series coming up, starting on Thursday with Daniel Knowles, author of Carmaggedon.

It's a fascinating conversation - please do join me!

My guest this week is Chris Stark, the CEO of the Climate Change Committee.

His job is to set the national carbon budget and then report to Parliament on whether we’re on track to hit net zero.

Earlier this year, his committee praised the Government for its ambition in setting targets but warned that ‘time was running out’ for the delivery plans to meet those targets.

He joins me on The Freewheeling Podcast to talk about how the carbon budgets are set, what needs to happen for surface transport to hit net zero, how the grid will cope with electric vehicles and whether the Transport Decarbonisation Plan is up to the job.

Angela Hultberg is my first return guest on The Freewheeling Podcast.

Since we last spoke she has joined the UN’s Climate Champions team preparing for the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow.

Her remit is road transportation and she joins me to talk about how the COP process works, what we can expect from the Glasgow conference and the priorities for transport decarbonisation.

Andrew Haines has a big task ahead of him.

As well as leading Network Rail, he also has to create a completely new public body to run Britain’s railways.

The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail outlined the creation of a new ‘fat controller’ organisation to manage the railways on behalf of customers, but the current CEO of Network Rail has the job of turning that vision into reality.

He joins me to discuss how he’s going to go about it and what good looks like for GBR.

Professor Jillian Anable, of the Institute for Transport Studies at the University of Leeds, is an expert on the future of motor transport.

She also has something of a track record as a forecaster: she accurately saw the trend towards SUVs coming, and fears they will be fatal to Britain’s chances of hitting its carbon targets.

She tells me she is an ‘inspirational pessimist’, as we talk about what the future holds and what needs to be done.

Do join us for a fascinating discussion.

The Freewheeling Podcast has now been live for exactly six months, so let's look back at some of the highlights from the first season.

I won’t be releasing new episodes in August: too many listeners are away (as are too many guests!).

So here’s a 10 minute summary of some of my favourite episodes of the last six months.

If you’ve dipped in and out so far, here are my recommendations on those not to miss.