About this episode
WARNING: This episode includes some mild bad language.
How do we get more people to leave the car behind and take the bus? When public transport can make such a positive difference to the planet, the task is to get the public to use it.
Ben Wakerley is a Lancaster University graduate – and long-time friend of Paul – whose lifelong love of buses has taken him on a journey from driving them around Manchester when he was a student to become CEO of Warrington’s Own Buses. The company has an award-winning fleet of 105 electric buses that makes them even better for the environment, but Ben catches the No.1 bus to campus to tell us you still need more to encourage passengers on board.
We consider the natural fit between public transport and sustainability, how better bus networks can help ease congestion and speed up life in big cities, and how we can build bus cultures that match that of London.
Ben explains how the sunk costs of buying a car plays a major part in people deciding to drive or take the bus, and what bus companies need to do to encourage people to make the switch without making it a war on motorists. We find out the challenges – logistically and investment-wise – and benefits – economically and environmentally – of switching from diesel to electric buses; and dispel some of the myths on battery range.
Find out whether the introduction of electric buses has seen passenger growth, how new housing developments need to better consider bus access, and how bus companies across the UK are taking on the sustainability agenda.
Plus, Ben is impressed by Paul’s bus knowledge, we think about our favourite bus routes around the UK, and we uncover Jan’s history working with bus companies.
Find out more about Warrington’s Own Buses: https://www.warringtonsownbuses.co.uk/
If you want to know what the Laffer curve is, look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laffer_curve
And discover some of the Great Scenic Bus Journeys here: https://www.greatscenicjourneys.co.uk/
Episode Transcript
