Jon Parker - Can a Bus Partnership Really Make a Difference?

I’ve lived and worked in Nottingham for the last 20 years and feel proud to live in a city that has proven just how effective, inclusive, and transformative, well delivered public transport can be. 

For the last 5 years or so I have had the privilege to independently chair the Nottingham Bus Partnership, as well as advise and contribute to bus strategy and major scheme bids.  As the Bus Centre of Excellence is launched it feels like a nice opportunity to reflect on my ‘lived experience’ of public transport across Nottingham, and also offer some personal commentary on why I believe the bus partnership in Nottingham is successful… 

First and foremost, Nottingham does all the simple things well.  The partnership-led approach has focused on the things that really matter to bus passengers – frequent, reliable journey times at an affordable price.  In essence putting the stated needs of bus-users (and the barriers for non-users) centre stage.  Sounds simple, but it’s amazing just how effective a turn up and go approach on all key corridors can be when seen through the lens of the customer.   

Once the basics are in place, then the supporting measures start to become more relevant in order to retain and attract new passengers.  High levels of customer care, real time information (at stops and mobile), integrated ticketing, simple capped fares and clean modern vehicles are all firmly embedded in the way public transport is operated across Nottingham.  Importantly, public transport is also not considered in isolation, with: strategic planning for buses (for example in determining planning applications and highway management); a progressive parking policy (including a Workplace Parking Levy that is reinvested in public transport); and, a mixed use city centre that restricts access for private vehicles to the core area, being just some of the wider and important parts of the mix. 

When it comes to wider ambition, the City Council is also clearly focused on ensuring Nottingham is seen by its local communities as a clean, green, inclusive and public transport friendly City, thus making decisions to prioritise public transport much more palatable.  Nottingham’s commitment to ‘Carbon Neutral 2028’ (https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/cn2028) is a great example of a public pledge backed by demonstrable action, of which a modern, clean, effective and efficient public transport network forms a central pillar of local policy.  

So, what role does the Bus Partnership play in all of this?  Well, from my own experience it has proven to be critical in helping to align the views of all key stakeholders and allow a common vision to be established and acted upon.  In that regard the Partnership isn’t about the Local Authorities ‘seen to be consulting’, but genuinely bringing together all stakeholders in a true and open spirit of collaboration to ‘achieve better things together’.  At all partnership meetings we create an environment that is inclusive, and that challenges stakeholders to bring fresh thinking and ideas that will help grow the bus market for all.  An ‘outcome and actions’ based approach means that meetings aren’t always easy and comfortable, but they are always thought provoking and lead to better outcomes for all.  Outside of partnership meetings one-to-one dialogue with stakeholders helps to maintain the effort and spirit of shared endeavor.   

For me, partnerships are only worth investing time in if the shared outcome is greater than the sum of the individual parts, therefore I consciously remind myself of that every time a draft agenda is prepared.  Similarly, in the summing-up at each meeting I seek reassurance from participants to ensure we are discussing the matters that really make a difference.  So far, that simple mantra has stood us in good stead, as the Nottingham Bus Partnership continues to flourish. 

Jon Parker,

Director of Transport Planning at ITP and Royal HaskoningDHV 

CIHT Fellow and Council member 

Visiting Research Fellow, University of the West of England 

Independent Chair of Nottingham Bus Enhanced Partnership