Good day my good friend.
Yesterday, I was a productivity machine. Issue a report here, ace a meeting there, and I even got a refund sorted for some house renovations. So by the time you read this, I will have crashed and burned quite spectacularly.
Speaking of spectacular, here is an event that may interest you. Good friend Jessica Jones-Langley, who hosts the 15MinCities Podcast, is running an online event on Public Support and Engagement in Transport Planning tomorrow, with an excellent line-up of speakers. You should sign up!
If you have any suggestions for interesting news items or bits of research to include in this newsletter, you can email me.
James
Autonomy in the UK
Its been a while since we have talked about autonomous vehicles. And this last week, the UK passed a major milestone in that the first autonomous bus service started operations across the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland. Its not driverless – our regulations won’t allow that – as there are two staff on board with one being primed to take control. But seeing such an operation actually serving the public (its a normal service you can hail at a stop) has been a long time coming.
Driverless buses represent an interesting use case. There has been much research on the technology, but even early cost modelling indicates that the potential operational savings achieved through platooning and just removing the driver could make autonomous buses a realistic commercial prospect. Though there are huge accessibility issues to consider. Because its pointless knowing the cost of everything if you don’t know the value of it either.
The North Remembers
Shouts of joy were heard across many Northern cities in England as the news emerged last week that First Group would lose the Transpennine Express rail franchise, and that the franchise would be nationalised. I mean put under the Operator of Last Resort. Lots has been written about this from the usual standpoints of “bring back British Rail” or “more free markets please.” If you are to read anything, I highly recommend Helen Pidd’s article on TPE. Not so much a eulogy as it is a “f**k you-logy.”
The thing is, I’m not sure how much a simple change of contract will solve things. It all has a Yes, Minister feel to it. The issues affecting trains in the North are long-standing and deep rooted. Lack of investment in infrastructure, poor rolling stock, struggling with recruiting staff, and still not solving capacity issues through the Castlefield Corridor. Instead, what we will see is another franchise being announced and then failing. Meanwhile, radical changes needed are delayed for another day. Just like a TPE service to Cleethorpes.
Random things
These links are meant to make you think about the things that affect our world in transport, and not just think about transport itself. I hope that you enjoy them.
Bin crews to work four-day week as UK trials extend to public sector frontline (The Guardian)
Despite bitcoin’s star fading, digital currencies are catching on in Asia and Africa (South China Morning Post)
The joy of sulk (aeon)
The politics of pub culture (Red Pepper)
Something interesting
Never let it be said that us Brits do not have a sense of humour when it comes to our trains. I have seen these on Virgin Trains as well as Southwestern, and it always raises a smile.
If you do nothing else today, then do this
Watch this rather good video of the electric buses of Amsterdam. And it makes the British announcement of electric buses seem rather flat, if I’m honest.
Mobility Matters 