UK Government announces new transport strategy with tap-and-go travel across trains, trams and buses

The UK Government has announced further integration for transport services in England, featuring expanded tap-and-go travel, stronger service coordination, and a partnership with Google Maps to provide live coverage of buses.

From the Department for Transport press release:

The case for dual-door buses outside London: why is it important to improve journey times?

On 15th March 2026, I published an article outlining my review of the West Yorkshire Bus Specification Options Report regarding the design of the new "Weaver Network" buses, which are expected to launch from April 2027.

Then, on 18th March 2026, I hosted an opinion poll on X (formerly Twitter) regarding whether high-frequency buses should have dual-door and/or triple-door configurations.

Reimagining the Silvertown Tunnel: A Case for Tram Integration

Map of the Silvertown Tunnel
Image - Transport for London (TfL)

This article follows up on my previous suggestion to explore the conversion of bus lanes and priority measures for tram use. It's important to remember that bus lanes and priority schemes aren't solely for buses; they also play a crucial role in enabling emergency services to improve their response times and potentially save lives by avoiding heavy traffic congestion.

My Standards for Providing Bus Services: Tailoring Vehicle Types and Door Configurations to Meet Route Needs

NRMs with route branding
Drawings © TfL

I will be explaining and suggesting my standards for the type of vehicles used for particular bus services in London and elsewhere.

Important UK Transport-Related Consultations and Surveys to Take Part In - Deadlines January 2025

We would like to raise awareness that, during the Christmas period, there are ongoing consultations that are worth taking part in.

Integrated National Transport Strategy: a call for ideas

Over £1 Billion Investment to Enhance Bus Services Across England as Fares are Capped at £3 🚍

• The UK government announces an investment of over £1 billion to revitalise bus services. 🚍
• A cap on single bus fares is set at £3, effective from 1 January 2025.
• The initiative aims to ensure affordable public transport for millions, especially in rural areas and towns.

The UK Government Launches Consultation to Give English Local Transport Authorities Control of Bus Services

As we are a couple of months into the new Government by the Labour Party administration. Their manifesto commitment is about improving bus services for England by giving powers back to the local authorities.

From UK Department for Transport press release

Transport Secretary sets the wheels in motion on "biggest overhaul to buses in a generation"

Fact Check: Wheelchair Users ♿ Get Free Travel And Priority On London Buses

Clipping from London Transport News (No. 426 - January 27 1994)
The first of the low-floor wheelchair accessible single-deck buses for London

The purpose of this article is to raise awareness about accessibility for wheelchair users, especially for visitors and residents of London who use public transport occasionally and are not aware of this.

The fact is, wheelchair users can travel on London Buses without paying (touching in with their Oyster, Contactless bank cards, or concessionary pass), even if they don't hold a Freedom Pass or an English National Concessionary Travel Scheme (ENCTS) pass.

Proposed Publicly Owned Bus Operating Companies For London And Elsewhere, And Research About East Thames Buses

Snapshot from First Sight: Battle of the Buses - Credit BBC

I tend to keep myself impartial and not aligned with politics or political parties. The purpose of this article is to show my research and to submit my suggestions to help improve public transport. Not everyone has to agree with me. The pasted texts in this article are in italics.

To briefly mention, the first London Transport authority was the London Passenger Transport Board, formed in 1933 with the transfer of the transport undertakings of the Underground railways, trams and buses, many of which were private or owned by the local governments.

Suggestion: The Administrative Divisions in England should be reformed and restructured to simplify responsibilities

Waste collection vehicle in the London Borough of Islington

In this article, I will be suggesting how the administrative divisions in England may need restructuring to simplify responsibilities to provide services and to reduce complications, including administrative costs, with the different layers of public bodies.

I'm not an expert in the field of local government, as I can explain the basics, but various functions are part of the Critical National Infrastructure, such as the emergency services, finance, transport etc. I have drafted this article as we are in the General Election period in the UK, so forgive me if you see any inaccuracies.

This is a supplement to my suggestion on creating a new South East Regional Transport Authority to subsume Transport for London, the railways of the former Network SouthEast and other transport responsibilities in general for Greater London, Home Counties, and the South East of England.

We Should Learn About The Critical National Infrastructure And Why Public Transport Is Important For The Economy And Society

CNI Criticalities Knowledge Base flyer

Some of my followers on X (formerly known as Twitter) may have noticed that I briefly used the words ‘Critical National Infrastructure’ (CNI) to show the importance of providing and improving public transport services, which are vital for the economy and society, along with other services we rely on.

2024 London Mayoral and Assembly Elections - Upcoming Improvements For Transport To Improve The Economy And Deliver Cleaner Air

Firstly, I don't really wish to get involved with party politics, especially on social media.

In this section of the article, I will highlight the manifesto policies for the London Mayoral election about transport from the main four political party candidates (Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Greens).

Which transport improvements do we expect to see with Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan in his third term?

Transport for London Confirms They Are Still Selling Bus Saver Tickets

A page from the 2019 Big Red Book on Bus Saver Tickets

A Freedom of Information request made to Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed they are still selling the Bus Saver Tickets.

Request ID: FOI-0096-2425
Date published: 23 April 2024

Question 1. What is the requirement to obtain the bus saver tickets?

Why is Creativity in Public Transport Important, Including Bus Route Planning and Branding?

Catch The Changes - Different coloured London Buses during the early 1990s

In this article, I will be explaining and referencing my previous articles on why transport authorities need to bring in more creativity to help improve their brand, make their services more attractive, and make wayfinding easier.

London Bus Tender Awards: Electric Buses for Routes R1, R2, R3, R4, R8, R11, U1, U2 and U3

The recent London Bus Tender Awards for the middle of March 2024 have revealed that routes R1, R2, R3, R4, R8, R11, U1, U2 and U3 will be using zero-emission electric buses.

Monday 11 March 2024
LBSL intends to enter into new contracts for the following routes with the operators listed below:

Route R1
Retained by: Go-Ahead London Metrobus
Peak Vehicle Requirement (PVR): 6
Vehicles: New electric single deck
Contract start date: 29th March 2025
Contract end date: 26th March 2032

Making A Case For New Rapid Transit Lines (Including New Tram Lines) By Increasing Bus Priority Measures

To tackle traffic congestion and pollution, London is in dire need of more bus priority measures and light rail services, including trams (also known as streetcars for North American readers), as it will help improve the economy.

The first generation of trams operated from 1860 to 1952, serving most of the London County Council area except for the west end of London. The type of trams London had were double-deck.

Then came trolleybuses, which served the London Passenger Transport Area from 1931 until 1962, as they were replaced by the diesel-engined AEC Routemaster.

Why Are Bus Lanes And Bus Priority Roads Beneficial To Emergency Services, Especially Non-Emergency Ambulances?

Non-emergency ambulance using the bus lane in London.
Image by TfL

I have spotted on Twitter/X that a local authority in Hull made a decision to degrade bus priority measures, and another is in America, where the State of Indiana General Assembly is trying to pass a bill to restrict bus lanes in Indianapolis, including the IndyGo Blue Line, a Bus Rapid Transit service.

The purpose of this article is to show my research on how bus lanes and priority measures are beneficial to emergency services, including non-emergency service ambulances.

My Suggestions To Help Create The Most Accessible Zero-Emission Bus For London And Elsewhere!

Last updated 12th March 2024

As the UK Government is currently undergoing a consultation to review the Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations 2000, to which the deadline for submissions is 11:45pm on 4 September 2023, I have decided to write a response, not just to the consultation but also to inspire transport authorities, bus manufacturers, bus operators, etc. to improve accessibility for new buses in London, the UK and elsewhere. Bear in mind though, I’m not an expert at vehicle design.

So here are my suggestions to create the most accessible zero-emission bus for London and elsewhere.

List of London Bus Routes Accepting Certain Non-TfL Tickets, National Rail’s PlusBus and English National Concessionary Companion Passes (2023)

A Freedom of Information request to Transport for London (TfL) reveals that London Buses accept certain non-TfL tickets and concessionary companion passes for bus routes that are usually outside the Greater London boundary. Unfortunately, TfL does not publicise this on their Bus and Tram fares page. There’s also no information regarding the use of English National Concessionary Companion Passes on the free and discounted travel page on the TfL website.

Covid19: TfL start to restore fare payments on London buses (including list of routes)

TfL has recently announced that they are restoring fare payments on London buses as part of the funding and financing package provided by the UK Government to keep London Transport services running.

From TfL Press release

Transport for London (TfL) announced today that it will begin the phased re-introduction of the requirement for passengers to touch in on buses with their contactless, Oyster or concessionary card, starting with routes served by single-door and New Routemaster buses.

From Saturday 23 May, customers on 85 routes, served by more than 1,200 of these buses, will need to touch in on the card reader by the doors as they board.

This is the first step to returning all of London's buses to being able to accept payments once further safety measures have been introduced to protect bus drivers.

The requirement to touch in will follow on more routes over the coming weeks, with announcements and signage in place on bus doors to inform passengers of the requirement.