The meeting addressed several important topics, including the current fiscally challenging situation, the significance of local bus services, the forthcoming Better Buses Bill, currently making its way through Parliament, and the impact of local decision-making on bus franchising.   

Discussions also highlighted the importance of long-term funding settlements for local authorities to improve investment returns and how breaking down silos is important for effective delivery with the transport and health agenda used as an example. The Minister welcomed CIHT’s contributions to the Transport Committee’s ‘Buses Connecting Communities’ inquiry.  

The Minister thanked CIHT for its contributions as a valued stakeholder of the Department for Transport, reaffirming the importance of collaboration in shaping the future of UK transport.  

Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, CIHT said: 

This was a great opportunity to meet with the Minister (Simon Lightwood MP) and discuss some of the key issues that CIHT and our members have asked us to raise. We are looking forward, alongside the Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE), to continuing this dialogue with the Minister and the wider Department for Transport to show how we can support them in the delivery of their programme on local transport, and the integrated national transport strategy through enabling the delivery of better transport networks and services for all.