Author: Gurby Griffiths

Government pledges £80 million to support buses into 2025

Older woman using bus. Government pledges £80 million to support buses into 2025

28 September 2023 – The government has pledged a further £80 million to support buses into 2025.

The funding will protect essential bus services and allow local authorities to make the improvements that would most benefit their communities.

Roads Minister Richard Holden today confirmed allocations for 64 local authorities across England from the £80 million investment in the bus service improvement plan+ (BSIP+) for 2024 to 2025.

Older woman using bus. Government pledges £80 million to support buses into 2025

Local authorities can use the funding to improve local buses by bringing in new services or routes, extending timetables through new morning or evening buses or making tickets cheaper through reduced fares for elderly or young people. They can also protect hundreds of bus services with low passenger numbers so that people who rely on them for essential services can continue to access their local bus.

Roads Minister Richard Holden said:  “Buses are the most popular form of public transport and millions of people across the country from the Tees Valley to Torbay rely on their local service to get to work, attend medical appointments and see loved ones.

“We are providing a further £80 million to help local authorities improve and protect essential services, delivering for local communities across the country by enhancing transport connections, supporting passengers and growing the economy.”

Today also marks the publication of the £2 Bus Fare Cap Second Interim Evaluation Report, analysing the initial impact of the cap in January and February 2023, the first 2 months of the measure.

£80 million to support buses into 2025: read the full story on the Department for Transport website.

Industry insights & case studies

Stay in the know with the latest industry news and insights.

Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland 2022-23

Bus stands at a bus stop with The City Hall building in the background in downtown Belfast Northern Ireland on a cloudy day.. Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland 2022-23

27 September 2023 – The annual report providing public transport statistics for Northern Ireland has been published and contains statistics for 2022-23.

The report presents statistics on public transport operated by Translink and it brings together information on public transport journeys, vehicles and staff. It is produced by Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch (ASRB).

Bus stands at a bus stop with The City Hall building in the background in downtown Belfast Northern Ireland on a cloudy day.. Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland 2022-23

The key points on public transport journeys are:

  • In 2022-23, there were 73.5 million journeys on public transport; this was an increase of 14.2 million or 23.9% since 2021-22, but a decrease of 11.9% from 2019-20 (83.4 million).
  • During 2022-23, there were, 60.6 million bus passenger journeys, an increase of 19.9% when compared with 2021-22 (50.5 million), but a decrease of 11.3% from 2019-20 (68.3 million journeys).
  • There were 12.9 million rail passenger journeys in 2022-23, an increase of 47.4% when compared with 2021-22 (8.8 million) but a decrease of 14.7% from 2019-20 (15.1 million).
  • In March 2023, the number of bus passenger journeys reached it’s highest monthly level since the beginning of the pandemic with 6.7 million journeys. Monthly rail passenger journeys reached a post-pandemic peak of 1.4 million in December 2022.

The Public Transport Statistics Northern Ireland 2022-23 report includes data on public transport passenger journeys during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. Read the full report.

Industry insights & case studies

Stay in the know with the latest industry news and insights.

Tram Operations selects Omnibus cloud scheduling and allocation solutions

Tram Operations selects Omnibus cloud scheduling and allocation solutions

14 September 2023 – Tram Operations Limited has re-partnered with Omnibus to implement new cloud solutions for future-proofing its scheduling and operations activities.

The FirstGroup-owned operator will adopt cloud-based timetabling, vehicle scheduling, crew scheduling and rostering to increase efficiency, flexibility and collaboration.

Tram Operations selects Omnibus cloud scheduling and allocation solutions

Operational efficiency will be achieved with cloud-native depot allocation solution OmniDAS and driver app OmniENGAGE. OmniDAS optimises resources and reduces administration with real-time driver and vehicle management, data feeds to HR, payroll and operations, and automated sign-on. OmniENGAGE provides drivers with greater flexibility to view and manage their work.

Ben Groome, Operations Director, Tram Operations Ltd

Ben Groome, Operations Director at Tram Operations Ltd, said: “After extensive market research, we identified Omnibus’ industry experience, evolving software and unmatched customer service were attributes that we were looking for in a partner to support our digitalisation.

“The Omnibus modern, flexible and scalable suite of cloud solutions will enable us to improve efficiencies in our schedule planning and service delivery, allowing us to benefit from innovative technology to transform our operations.”

Peter Crichton, Founder of Omnibus, said: “With a track record of over thirty years of providing operators with innovative solutions, Omnibus is proud to partner once again with Tram Operations Ltd. We are looking forward to supporting them in making their digital transformation a success.”

Tram Operations Ltd is the operator of Tramlink on behalf of Transport for London (LfT), providing inter-urban, cross-borough services in Southwest London for customers travelling between Wimbledon and New Addington or Beckenham Junction and Elmers End to Croydon. With over 22 million passenger journeys a year and operating over 4,200 services each week, it is one of the busiest networks in the country.

-END-

Press contact
Harminder Sangha
harminder.sangha@epm-bus.com
07538 935 568

Empowering you with software to drive your business forward

Intuitive. Seamless. Dynamic.

Podcast – Still sharing operational information by phone or email?

Still sharing operational information by phone or email

Depot controllers and engineers rely on each other for operational information yet communication between them can be poor or slow because they communicate by phone or email.​ By not being able to communicate effectively, poor decisions are often made which result in higher costs for the operator.​

OmniDAS, our cloud-native depot allocation solution for real-time driver and vehicle management, seamlessly integrates with other systems, such as engineering, allowing teams to work more effectively and increase their operational efficiency. Find out more in the podcast.

Empowering you with software to drive your business forward

Intuitive. Seamless. Dynamic.

Podcast – Are you re-keying operational data?

Does your control room rekey operational data

Passenger transport operators use several control room systems to record information on lost mileage, absences, customer feedback, accidents, and monitoring punctuality and reliability. Each operational action may also require a record to be made or updated in another system/s. The challenge for operators is that the majority of these systems work independently, which leads to inefficient and error-prone re-keying of operational data.

OmniDAS, our cloud-native depot allocation solution for real-time driver and vehicle management, seamlessly integrates with other systems, which means data is only entered once without duplication!​ This streamlines workflows and gives operators more time to manage the network and resolve issues faster. Find out more in the podcast.

Empowering you with software to drive your business forward

Intuitive. Seamless. Dynamic.

Podcast – Are your allocation systems siloed?

Are your allocation systems siloed

Does your bus operation have multiple depots with each depot using a separate instance of their allocation software? If so, those depots are working in silos and this creates a challenge sharing resources between depots and as a result decisions take longer, and costs can go up.​

OmniDAS, our depot allocation platform, allows you to bring all those silos under a single umbrella to share driver resources across depots, work remotely and collaborate on tasks, and maintain a single source of truth. Find out more in the podcast.

Empowering you with software to drive your business forward

Intuitive. Seamless. Dynamic.

Omnibus parent company rebrands to Velociti Group

Transport technology specialist Omnibus parent company rebrands to Velociti Group

24 July 2023 – Today, UK-based EPM Transport Solutions, transport technology specialists and parent company of EPM Bus Solutions, Omnibus Solutions, 3Squared, and FabDigital has announced it has rebranded to Velociti Group.

The company launched the new identity, including new name and logo, to better communicate its purpose to deliver innovative software and specialist consultancy to power public transportation.

Transport technology specialist Omnibus parent company rebrands to Velociti Group

This new fresh identity represents Velociti’s dynamism, agility and energy. Along with the brand-new look, Velociti Group’s innovative message is ‘The Future. Accelerated’.

Through pioneering technology and a first-class approach to implementation, Velociti Group tackles the challenges faced by those seeking to create an improved and greener future for customers, operators and infrastructure owners in both rail and bus sectors.

Ian Churchill, CEO at Velociti Group, commented: “We are delighted to launch Velociti Group, a new name and vibrant identity that effectively embodies us as a group. Velociti Group encompasses a wealth of heritage and ambition from across the rail and bus sectors and we are pleased to reflect this in our new brand.

“Velociti Group companies will continue to operate as individual entities while the new group identity will bring them together as a collective, with the combined aim of creating a better future for forward-thinking organisations seeking to improve outcomes in rail and bus transport.”

-END-

ABOUT VELOCITI GROUP
Velociti Group provides software and services to transport operators and local authorities to optimise their operations. Velociti Group trades through four distinct brands – EPM Bus Solutions (https://www.epm-bus.com/), Omnibus Solutions (https://omnibus.solutions/), 3Squared (https://3squared.com/) and FabDigital (https://www.fabcomms.co.uk/index.php?page=fab-digital)

 

MEDIA INFORMATION
For further information, images or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Amy Jeffs, MD & Communications Consultant, Hey Me
Email: amy@heyme.co.uk
Telephone: +44 7576 847637

Industry insights & case studies

Stay in the know with the latest industry news and insights.

Transport user personas developed to support DfT

Transport user personas

19 July 2023 – The Department for Transport (DfT) has developed a set of user personas to understand the needs, behaviours and travel preferences of different types of passengers – and ensure transport systems work for everyone.

The diversity is captured with 12 different personas to reflect 9 groups of people. The groups were developed from existing research that was validated and updated by a large-scale survey and ethnographic study in 2022.

Transport user personas

The evidence that feeds into these personas covers the population aged 16 and over in England only. The personas are intended to provide a tool that makes it easier to put passengers and people at the heart of their decision-making.

Read the full report: Transport user personas

Industry insights & case studies

Stay in the know with the latest industry news and insights.

CT4N selects Omnibus cloud solutions to realise efficiency savings

CT4N selects Omnibus cloud solutions to realise efficiency savings

19 July 2023 – CT4N Charitable Trust, a Nottingham-based community transport operator, has selected Omnibus cloud solutions for scheduling and depot allocation as part of its digitalisation to boost growth. 

The operator will replace manual processes with the Omnibus Scheduling Suite to produce efficient timetables and schedules; OmniDAS for real-time driver and vehicle management and to deliver services safely and legally whilst minimising costs; and driver app OmniENGAGE to improve communication with drivers.

CT4N selects Omnibus cloud solutions to realise efficiency savings

The move will enable CT4N to realise efficiency savings with secure and flexible cloud solutions as it seeks out fresh commercial opportunities to maintain a host of valuable community services. 

Nigel Eggleton, CT4N

Nigel Eggleton, Commercial Director at CT4N, which provides commercial and contracted bus services across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, said: “Our customers rely on us to increase their accessibility and mobility by connecting them to where they need to go.

“To meet those expectations, we are delighted to partner with Omnibus to drive efficiencies as well as allow us to boost areas that are raising revenue to support the work of the charity.” 

Peter Crichton, Founder of Omnibus, said: “Whether the goal is to improve efficiencies around timetabling, allocation of drivers or produce accurate payroll outputs, we work side-by-side with operators of all sizes and vital community organisations, like CT4N, to enable them to achieve their growth strategies.” 

-END-

CT4N: www.ct4n.co.uk

Omnibus Solutions: www.omnibus.solutions

Press contact
Harminder Sangha
harminder.sangha@epm-bus.com
07538 935 568

Empowering you with software to drive your business forward

Intuitive. Seamless. Dynamic.

New campaign encourages older people to Take the Bus

Campaign encourages older people to use free bus travel

17 July 2023 – Older and eligible disabled people are being urged to make the most of free bus travel, through a new government campaign launched this month.

The ‘Take the Bus’ campaign is targeting people aged 66 and above, and disabled people who are eligible for a concessionary pass after statistics show concessionary journeys are down by more than a third since before the Covid-19 pandemic.

Campaign encourages older people to use free bus travel

Along with the government’s £2 bus fare cap scheme, the campaign aims to get more people using the bus to help reduce congestion and emissions while supporting the bus industry and helping grow the economy.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “We want those eligible to embrace all the benefits their concessionary pass can bring, with free bus travel allowing them to enjoy great trips out – all they need to do is ‘take the bus’. Around £1 billion a year of central and local government funding goes towards concessionary passes to help older and disabled people get out and about while saving them money and helping grow the economy.”

Read the full story: New campaign to boost free bus travel this summer

Industry insights & case studies

Stay in the know with the latest industry news and insights.