Bus Industry Insights – Analysis and Commentary on Bus Safety, Transport Policy and Governance

Sometimes politicians say something that cuts through all the technical language and gets straight to the heart of an issue. Andy Burnham did exactly that in December 2025. Speaking as Mayor of Greater Manchester about the 09:30 restriction on concessionary bus passes, he said: “The 09.30am restriction is unfair, if not discriminatory.” He then made the argument even clearer. People’s lives do not begin at 09:30. Older people have health appointments. They look after grandchildren. Disabled people need to travel to work. Greater Manchester therefore decided to remove the restriction for both older and disabled concessionary pass holders. I agreed with him then. I still agree with him now. Which is why this week’s Government announcement leaves me with one very obvious question. If the rule was unfair for older people then, why isn't it unfair for them now? The Government has announced that from 1 April 2027, eligible disabled concessionary bus pass holders across England will be ab...

This week brought genuinely good news for disabled people across England. The Government has announced that from 1 April 2027, eligible disabled concessionary bus pass holders will be able to travel free on local buses all day, every day. The national time restriction is finally going. I wholeheartedly welcome it. It is a tremendous step forward for some of the most vulnerable people in our society and recognises something I have been saying throughout my campaign: Life doesn't start at 9.30am. Disabled people work. They attend college and training. They have hospital and GP appointments. They care for relatives. They volunteer. They have families, responsibilities and lives to lead. None of those things conveniently begins at 9.30am simply because that is when a concessionary bus pass traditionally becomes valid. Removing that barrier is therefore about much more than a free bus journey. It is about independence, dignity, equality and opportunity. The Government deserves credit fo...

There are some Freedom of Information responses that quietly close a door. And there are others that open one. The latest response I have received from the Department for Work and Pensions is one of the important ones. For months, I have been asking a simple question: When Government talks about workplace heat, does it understand that a bus cab is a workplace? Not a normal workplace. Not an office. Not a factory. Not a shop. A safety-critical, mobile workplace where a driver may be expected to sit for hours in live traffic, carrying passengers, managing hazards, dealing with pressure, and staying alert while the cab temperature rises into the high 30s or 40s. That question now matters more than ever. The DWP FOI response can be read in full here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bEnFi2VPrw5GtQOmGS0sAbLZyZJZJ9H4/view?usp=drivesdk I have included the full response so readers can see the wording for themselves, rather than relying only on my summary. DWP has confirmed that ...

By Lee Odams Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are my own and are written in a personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of the RMT Union, my employer, or any other organisation unless explicitly stated. I recently wrote about the findings of a Freedom of Information request concerning Nottingham City Council's Greyhound Street public toilets. That first response raised some serious questions. It showed more than 43,000 recorded visits during 2025, operating costs of approximately £76,000, no assessment of the impact of the charging arrangements on bus drivers or transport workers, and no review of the effectiveness of the charging scheme. Those answers led me to ask further questions. In particular, I wanted to know more about the barriers themselves: vandalism, breakdowns, repairs, periods when payment could not be collected and, fundamentally, whether Nottingham City Council has ever established that the charging and barrier system actually rep...