December 16 2024
The Confederation of Passenger Transport is pleased to announce that Simon Lightwood, the Minister for Local Transport with responsibility for buses and coaches, will be the keynote speaker at its 2025 conference.
The minister’s address will come as the Buses Bill, which sets out the Government’s approach to regulation and reform of bus services, makes its way through the legislative process, following its expected introduction to parliament this week.
The annual gathering of the bus and coach industry will take place at the Park Plaza London Riverbank Hotel on Thursday January 23rd, followed by the industry’s annual dinner in the evening.
Centred on the theme of ‘growth’, the conference will examine how the bus and coach industry can drive and adapt to economic, environmental and community focused progress.
Among the sessions will be discussions on green growth, placemaking, kickstarting economic growth and the future of the coach market. The conference is intended to provide valuable insights into building a prosperous future and securing the sector’s position.
Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of the CPT, said: “The CPT’s annual conference is the biggest event in the bus and coach calendar, and we’re delighted that Simon Lightwood will be joining us. It’s an opportunity for our members to hear directly from the minister on the Labour Government’s ambitious plans for reform of the sector.
“Passengers arriving in high streets by bus contribute almost £40 billion to local economies across Britain, and visitors arriving by coach deliver a further £8.3 billion in value to towns, cities and tourist hotspots – so our industry is vital to the Government’s mission of kickstarting economic growth.
“With 11 million people travelling by bus every day, we look forward to working with the Government on delivering the best possible public transport to communities across Britain.”