The very latest ALBUM (Association of Local Bus Managers) conference took place this week in Nottingham. Hosted by Nottingham City Transport, it welcomed bus operators from across the UK, finishing off festivities with a gala dinner attended by over 240 guests after a very busy and active conference that quite literally had something for everyone.
The ALBUM conference is a rare beast, as its ethos has remained the same for the many years it has been operating, with an emphasis on learning, sharing, and, on occasion, lobbying, while ensuring that attendees actually have an enjoyable time.
A classic example of “work hard, play hard”, the play element included a golf competition. Always a hit with competitive bus employees. A medieval banquet was held (where else but Nottingham Castle), where the Sheriff of Nottingham and his merry men ensured all guests were wined and dined with mead and chicken legs. An array of jesters and entertainers kept spirits high throughout the evening. The finale, however, was a gala dinner on the final night, where, after a fine three-course banquet, the casino opened and penny fortunes were won and lost until the early hours.
However, the many presentations given throughout the conference tackled the most pressing issues of the day. Unsurprisingly, this year, following a Labour Party landslide, the emphasis was on the introduction of franchising. Interestingly, the conference headline was the appearance, via video, of Minister Simon Lightwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport. He explained that the Bus Services Bill, currently going through Parliament, includes a raft of measures such as mandatory disability training, powers for local authorities to create by-laws to tackle anti-social behaviour, and the repeal of a ban on council-run bus companies.
He said:
“While empowering local leaders to deliver the services their communities deserve, whether it is through franchising , strengthening, or enhancing partnerships, or local authority bus companies, that does not mean that government can, or will, put its feet up. The government has wasted no time on repealing the ideological ban on municipal bus companies. He went on to say that NCT (Nottingham City Transport) has been named the UK bus operator of the year for an impressive and deserved sixth times, proving that this approach can work.”
While franchising models are today operated under some regional mayoral authorities, including Liverpool and Manchester, there have been some fears that tampering with NCT’s success under the East Midlands newly established mayoral authority – the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) – may hinder success. The EMCCA will take on the transport function from all four councils that it encompasses in April next year.
Indeed, David Astill, the highly respected Managing Director of NCT, has staunchly opposed any franchising arrangement under EMCCA, which is lead by Labour mayor Claire Ward, saying that franchising would prove to be an “existential” threat to NCT. But speaking at the conference, Ms Ward confirmed her support for partnerships. She said:
“I have made it very clear we will start with enhanced partnerships and we will make those work. There will always be the opportunity to take a different path towards franchising, but I believe we can make enhanced partnerships a regional transport system that works for all.”
So, yet again, another successful conference. And sincere congratulations go to David and his entire team at NCT, as well as to the ALBUM team, who each year organise tried and tested conferences tailored to the needs of bus companies still owned by local authorities. And who knows, now that the rules have changed, we may well see more local authorities rise like a phoenix from the ashes of former privately owned bus companies, emerging as the next generation of municipally owned operators. Of course, Enhanced Partnership groups will be equally welcome, no doubt embraced with open arms by ALBUM, a broad church that welcomes both the largest and smallest bus companies. Either way, I greatly look forward to the next conference and can highly recommend attending.
Written by Austin Birks
