Day 1: 23 September Programme

Please note the programme is currently under development

23 September Programme

12:30

Registration

Meet at the Portsmouth Guildhall for bag drop-off

13:00

Bus and Infrastructure tours

Delegates choose from 1 of 4
(Selection made during registration, subject to availability)

Tour option 1

First Electric Depot visit & Bus Priority between Fareham & Gosport

Tour of First Hoeford Electric Bus Depot & Eclipse Bus Priority

Led by: Andrew Wilson, Strategic Transport Manager, Hampshire County Council & Gary Weaver, Engineering Director, First Solent

Tour option 2

Roadside Renaissance: Portsmouth RTI Improvements Super Stops and project refresh

We invite you to join a tour of our exciting new Super Stops showcase and shelter upgrades. Super Stops bring a high quality and tech-enabled bus "shop window" to key locations across the city, and include features designed to improve the bus user experience and encourage higher usage. On this tour you will see how they are being rolled out across the city as part of our BSIP programme, alongside other initiatives to breathe new life into existing infrastructure, giving greater consistency across the estate, and contribute to a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. The showcase also includes the addition of Real Time Information screens and the use of QR codes.

Led by: Richard Gagg, Passenger Transport Team Leader, Portsmouth City Council and Neil Chapman, Product Design Director, Europe & UK, and Louise Stubbings, Partnerships and Creative Director Development UK, Bauer Media Outdoor

Tour option 3

Transforming Public Transport Interchange

The multimillion-pound improvements under the Ryde Transport Interchange project have included a significant infrastructure upgrade to both the Esplanade Hub and Ryde Pier; with the overall aim of improving connectivity between Portsmouth and Ryde, and giving commuters and holiday-goers a smoother, more convenient journey. The scheme brings together bus, rail, ferry and hovercraft and has been Delivered as part of the Transforming Cities Programme as part of the wider Portsmouth Travel-to-Work Area (TTWA)

Led by: Lisa Cook, Passenger Transport Manager, Portsmouth City Council & Stewart Chandler, Transport Strategy Manager, Isle of Wight Council

Tour option 4

Getting priorities right & a more commercial approach to Park & Ride

City tour including:-

New city centre bus priority delivered though Transforming Cities Fund (TCF)
Bus lanes red surfacing projects delivering between 48-92% reduction in contraventions
Signal-based bus priority & town centre revival
Portsmouth Park & Ride

Led by: Jason Ellam-Brown, Principal Construction Manager, & Sarah Jones, Passenger Transport Team Leader, Portsmouth City Council

16:00

Main Auditorium

Improving buses in Portsmouth

The approach to Portsmouth's BSIP
Paul Walker, Head of Passenger Transport, Portsmouth City Council

Developing an urban DDRT
Lisa Cook, Passenger Transport Manager, Portsmouth City Council

Development of a Digital Twin
Paul Darlow, Traffic & Network Manager, Portsmouth City Council

17:00

Main Auditorium

Trueform workshop: Better Bus Stops

Richard Boundy, Senior Sales Representative, Trueform
Importance of quality roadside infrastructure

Silviya Barrett – Director of Policy and Campaigns, Campaign for Better Transport
Better Bus Stops report - overview

Ed Griffiths, Creative Director, Jedco
Design thinking to drive modal shift

Karen Rankin, Development Director, Trueform
Maintenance & financing

17:45

Main Auditorium

Networking drinks served

A selection of soft and alcoholic drinks served in the exhibition area.

Main Auditorium

BCoE Bus Awards

Open for entries until
5pm on 11 September.
Apply here

18:30

Networking reception close

Delegates depart

Day 2: 24 September Programme

Please note the programme is currently under development

24 September Programme

08.45

Registration

Tea & coffee served in the Main Auditorium exhibition area

09.45

Main Auditorium

Opening plenary: supporting bus reform and protecting services – what next?

Welcome
Cllr Peter Candlish, Executive Member, Transport, Portsmouth City Council

Keynote: A new era for buses

Stephen Fidler, Director: Local Passenger Transport & Inclusion, Department for Transport

Chair: Leon Daniels, Chair of the Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE) Advisory Board

Evaluating future bus delivery models

David Leeder, Director, TIL

The Bus Services Bill: what practitioners need to know

Chris Lewis, Director, Burges Salmon

Taking buses forward: BCoE next steps

Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, CIHT

Followed by panel discussion and Q&A

11.00

Morning break

Tea & coffee served in the Main Auditorium exhibition area

11:30

Breakout sessions

Delegates choose from 1 of 4

Lens Studio

Embedding buses in growth and development plans

Chair: Lisa Cook, Passenger Transport Manager, Portsmouth City Council

Risks that the housing development boom could lead to transport deserts without coordinated planning

Phil Turner, Associate, Steer

Embedding bus services in new development: how local authorities are driving sustainable growth

Dan Saunders, Chief Product Officer, Basemap

Educating town planners: the Irish guide to bus-oriented development

Jarrett Walker, Founder and Principal Consultant, Jarrett Walker + Associates

Delivering bus services to new housing: evidenced insights to support plan-making

Nick Small, Head of Built Environment & Infrastructure for Oxford Bus Company & Go South Coast, part of the Go-Ahead Group

Freda Swain Lounge

Navigating strategies for upgrading to Net Zero bus fleets

Part 1: Burges Salmon (45 mins)

As the deadline for zero-emission bus purchases nears, operators must act now to future-proof their fleets.

Part 1 led by Burges Salmon (45 mins)

This session will explore the legal, commercial, and operational challenges of fleet strategy for decarbonisation, offering practical guidance to help the industry meet government targets and deliver sustainable, net-zero bus solutions. Legal experts from Burges Salmon will be joined by guest speakers who fund and operate bus fleets to discuss their experience of:

Infrastructure readiness including building depots, grid connections, and charging infrastructure
Innovative new business and financing models
Commercial considerations such as power purchase agreements and procurement
Incentivising net-zero compliance.
Navigating legal and operational considerations such as IP rights and regulation

Speakers:

Chris Simms, Partner, Burges Salmon
Madison Sutton, Associate, Burges Salmon

Part 2: Zenobe (45 mins)

A heavyweight in the electric vehicle space, Zenobē has been driving decarbonisation of bus fleets since 2017. In this session you’ll learn:

Why electric represents better value than diesel
Components of Total Cost of Ownership to know
What is bus-as-a-service?
The impact of batteries and a circular economy
Data-driven optimisation and planning
The one message to take away

Alongside a strategic overview, you’ll hear the latest thinking on smart charging and battery state of health, with practical worked examples.

Speakers:

Ben Hinchliffe, Business Development Manager, Zenobē
Julia Meek, Business Development Director, Zenobē

Zodiac Gallery

Bus operational models

Chair: Felicity Tidbury, Assistant Director for Transport, Portsmouth City Council

Navigating the process toolkit: the
best regulatory model for running bus services

Nicholas Jessup, Policy Manager, Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT)

Bus franchising model pilots update

Rose McArthur, Director - Transport, Highways, Infrastructure and Climate Change at Cheshire West and Chester Council

Commercialising the public sector – how to replicate commercial skills which currently sit with bus operators in the emerging franchise authorities

Marc Winsland, Principal Consultant (bus operations), SYSTRA

Bus franchising – where is it the right answer?

Peter Hardy, Technical Director, Integrated Transport Planning

Future operating models for buses: public ownership

Chris Hook, Specialist Transport Services Manager, Warrington Borough Council

Portsmouth Room

Back the bus – making bus the better choice

Chair: Paul Walker, Head of Passenger Transport, Portsmouth City Council

North Wales Bus Infrastructure Enhancement Study: Applying a marginal gains and continuous improvement approach to bus priority

Daniel McCool, Associate (Transport Planning), Arup

Repositioning Park and Ride: promotion to new markets and encouraging bus passenger growth

Lexa Wokersien, Marketing and Communications Manager, Portsmouth City Council

How performance data informs network strategy ahead of franchising: case studies

Kate Hamblin, Solutions Director, CitySwift

Performance optimisation technology across the bus network

Louis Oldfield and Hugo MacFadyen, Performance Management, Transport for London

Building a sustainable commuting legacy for the North East - by bus

Geoff Wade, Community Engagement Lead (Bus Network), North East Combined Authority and Graeme Banister, Sector Director, Mobilityways

13.00

Lunch break

Refreshments served in the Main Auditorium exhibition area

14:00

Breakout sessions

Delegates choose from 1 of 4

Lens Studio

Ensuring that interventions deliver intended impacts

Chair: Lydia Horbury, Director for England, Bus Users UK

Quantifying route-level social necessity in the age of the Buses Bill

Devon Barrett, CTO, Podaris, Julian Moss, Associate Director (Mobility Planning), WSP and Andrew Highfield, Assistant Director, Public Transport Services, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

Innovation in case-making for bus investments

Jon Bunney, Technical Principal, Integrated Transport Division, Mott MacDonald

Early-stage public transport option assessments and business case development

Claire Kennedy, Associate Director, Traffic Modeller, and April Alcock, Senior Traffic Engineer, Norman Rourke Pryme

Social Value and why it matters: the BCoE Social Value Toolkit

Liani Baglietto Castellares, Senior Planner, Transport Consulting, Arup

Freda Swain Lounge

Better bus stops: innovation, information and infrastructure

Chair: Michael Solomon Williams,
Head of Campaigns, Campaign for Better Transport

What makes an accessible bus stop?

Silviya Barrett, Director of Policy and Campaigns, Campaign for Better Transport

Printed passenger information: creating a consistent passenger experience at bus stops

Craig Nelson, Managing Director EMEA, Optibus

Responsible procurement: sustainable sourcing and structural performance

Robert Davis, Sustainable Travel Lead, Trueform

Panel discussion with speakers and Richard Gagg, Passenger Transport Team Leader, Portsmouth City Council and Neil Chapman, Product Design Director, Europe & UK, Bauer Media Outdoor

Zodiac Gallery

Integrating services workshop

Session led by: Lisa Cook, Passenger Transport Manager, Portsmouth City Council

Session on integrating DRT, Community Transport and community health and education services

Speakers include:

Integrating services in Hampshire

Andrew Wilson, Strategic Transport Manager, Hampshire County Council

How Community Transport adds value

Chanelle Dwyer, National Development Manager, Community Transport Association

In-house fleet operation and integration of home-to-school and supported bus networks

Dylan Lawson, Public Transport Officer, Telford & Wrekin Council and Neil Davies, Senior Bus & Rail Planning Specialist, AtkinsRéalis

The value of DRT – and how it can support integration

Kiron Chatterjee, Professor of Travel Behaviour, University of the West of England, Bristol

Portsmouth Room

C-chairs: Stelios Rodoulis, Head, Bus Centre of Excellence and Harriet Awofisan, Digital Engagement Officer, Bus Centre of Excellence

Digital foundations for an integrated transport future

Sam Griffiths, Head of Northern Europe, Via

Bus and the DfT Connectivity Tool

Marco Picardi, Deputy Head of Planning, Department for Transport

The BCoE Franchising Training Course

Jonathan Ziebart, Director, Rebel Group 

LTN 1/24 – Overview of future training and key messages

Christian Bodé, Head of Technical Excellence (Streets & Technology), AECOM

Bus Service Commissioning and Operations qualification, CILT(UK)

Shaun Fardy, Director of Service Delivery, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (UK)

Bringing bus scheduling out of the darkened room
Rob Hudspith, Independent Consultant, Routes to Success Consultancy

From data to delight: How Passenger's insights & partnerships are transforming public transport customer experience
Chris Desborough, Business Development Manager, Passenger

Innovation showcase: products, tools, services, skills & training

15:15

Afternoon break

Tea & coffee served in the Function Room exhibition area

15.45

Conference Room

Closing plenary: A sector with a future – looking beyond 2025

In conversation:

Host: Richard Soper, Director, South Hampshire Bus Operators' Association

Simon Goff, Managing Director, First Bus South and Marc Reddy, Managing Director, Stagecoach South

Panel Discussion

Chair: Leon Daniels, Chair of the Bus Centre of Excellence (BCoE) Advisory Board

Panel:

Neill Birch, Business Director (Bus), SYSTRA
Rose McArthur, Director - Transport, Highways, Infrastructure and Climate Change, Cheshire West and Chester Council
Melanie Watson, Independent Consultant and Director, MW Associates
Jarrett Walker, Founder and Principal Consultant, Jarrett Walker + Associates