CPT Training launched in partnership with Lloyd Morgan Group
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has announced the launch of its new membership service, CPT Training, which is to be delivered in partnership with Lloyd Morgan Group.
CPT Training will offer CPT members training services at discounted rates. It is expected to launch in early Spring 2022 and will include Transport Manager Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC), Vehicle Inspector, driver CPC, Engineering Supervisor and Manager, and other courses.
CPT says the training is intended to help operators ensure compliance, upskill staff and refresh current skills.
“I’m delighted to share with members the news that Lloyd Morgan Group will be joining CPT as our training partner," says CPT’s Operations Director Keith McNally. "The new CPT Training will be a real asset to our members and help them to achieve their ambitions, delivering high quality services for passengers while staying safe and compliant.
"I encourage all members to keep an eye out for further details. A range of CPT Training courses will be available to book in the coming months and members will be notified by email when the website goes live."
Adds Pete Thompson, Managing Director of Lloyd Morgan Group: “As an existing commercial partner of CPT we already have an excellent working relationship, so it is great to be delivering CPT Training in partnership together too.
“In a sometimes rapidly changing environment it is essential that operators stay compliant. Through the upcoming CPT Training programme, we will equip operators with the knowledge to make sure they stay compliant in all their activities."
Operators interested in learning more about CPT Training should contact [email protected] and for information about the range of courses available [email protected]
Euro Bus Expo 2022: Premier industry show back in November
Euro Bus Expo organiser Diversified Communications UK has announced early details of this year’s principal coach and bus industry trade show, which will be held at the NEC Birmingham on 1-3 November 2022.
Heralding a return after a three-year break, Euro Bus Expo will have an anticipated 270 exhibitors in attendance. It will major on decarbonisation, innovation and the future of road passenger transport. Over 100 coaches, buses and midi and mini vehicles are expected to be on site. Some will be within the interactive Zero Emission Zone, which will make its Euro Bus Expo debut.
Technology to be well represented at Euro Bus Expo 2022
Technology providers will also be prominent at the show. Many suppliers in this area have already confirmed their presence, while industry partners in other areas that extend across the whole sphere of coach and bus operation will be equally well-represented.
Preparations for the popular seminar programme are also underway. The Masterclass Theatre will host a variety of industry thought leaders to discuss the latest topics of relevance through keynote presentations and panel discussions.
A popular technology-related aspect that will make its Euro Bus Expo debut in 2022 is the Innovation Challenge. Introduced at Coach & Bus UK in 2019, it will highlight the latest ideas driving the sector. Participating exhibitors will present their products and ideas in the Masterclass Theatre and visitors will vote for their favourite.
'An unmissable opportunity to reconnect'
Speaking about Euro Bus Expo 2022, Event Director Helen Conway says: “The show is vital to the coach and bus industry, which will undoubtably be out in force for its return. Visitors will discover all the latest insights, technologies, products and services needed to enhance their businesses and reduce fleet emissions.
“Euro Bus Expo is centrally located, easily accessible and surrounded by options for networking into the evening – including the routeone Awards, to be held on Wednesday 2 November.
"It is simply an unmissable opportunity to reconnect.”
Adds Graham Vidler, CEO of show partner the Confederation of Passenger Transport: “With the road to net zero at the top of the political agenda, operators and manufacturers know how crucial it is that we act now to achieve ambitious targets and tackle climate change.
“It is great to see that Euro Bus Expo will be looking closely at how our industry can play its part in decarbonising transport. The event is an industry staple that has been sorely missed – this year will be an opportunity to reconnect and continue to have important discussions around the top challenges facing us today.”
Zero Emission Zone prominent at Euro Bus Expo 2022
The Zero Emission Zone at Euro Bus Expo will give visitors the opportunity to experience fleets of the future first-hand. It will highlight the latest vehicles designed to decarbonise passenger transport and support the UK’s goal of reaching net zero by no later than 2050.
Alexander Dennis, Equipmake, London Hire, Pelican Bus and Coach, Switch Mobility and Volvo are among the exhibitors that will be demonstrating vehicles in the Zero Emission Zone. Making its Euro Bus Expo debut, Equipmake will present its Jewel E battery-electric double-decker bus, while Pelican Bus and Coach will showcase the Yutong battery-electric range.
Products from other participants in the Zero Emission Zone will be announced in due course, while in a related development, Alexander Dennis will display a hydrogen fuel cell-electric Enviro400FCEV double-decker within the halls.
Says Equipmake Managing Director Ian Foley: “We are looking forward to meeting new and existing clients and will be showcasing our battery-electric Jewel E in partnership with Beulas and Agrale, built to a provincial specification with a collaborative operator.”
Adds Switch Mobility Chief Marketing and Sustainability Officer Peter Freedman: “Euro Bus Expo has always been a standout coach and bus exhibition, and the focus on zero-emission this year fits with the emphasis we are placing on zero-carbon transport. We look forward to being able to demonstrate how a move to electric vehicles can reduce the total cost of bus ownership.”
To find out about Euro Bus Expo developments as they happen, join the mailing list at www.eurobusxpo.com
First Potteries honours area's past with Mainline interior design
First Potteries is to reintroduce the Mainline brand to buses in North Staffordshire in a collaborative approach between the operator, flooring specialist Altro, Best Impressions and Bus and Coach World. It will see the identity applied to 25 refurbished Wrightbus StreetLites.
Work on those buses is scheduled to be completed by Bus and Coach World by mid-April. They will carry a three-tone orange livery and be utilised on the operator’s 3 and 4 service groups in the north of Stoke-on-Trent and into Cheshire, and into Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Centrepiece of the interior work is development of a new flooring design that echoes the traditional tiled approach used in pubs, terraced houses and other buildings in North Staffordshire. The operator describes it as “a statement and perfect tribute to the Minton legacy from years gone by in the Potteries area.” It is installed as part of the refurbishment work by Bus and Coach World.
First Potteries Managing Director Nigel Eggleton (pictured, above) says that the project is “a great example of how, when you pull on the experience, ideas and industry knowledge to produce something a little bit different, you can achieve great things.”
Altro has used its Transflor Metris Custom digitally printed flooring to replicate designs created by Ray Stenning of Best Impressions. Altro New Product Introduction Manager David Brailsford says: “The designs came together to support the creation of a unique and stunning fleet of vehicles that really put the Potteries on the map.”
Adds Mr Stenning: “Local bus services are exactly that – local, bespoke and with an artisan bent.
"It was entirely appropriate to pay tribute to the great tilemaking traditions of the area and, using modern technologies, recreate a Minton-style floor for these buses that run right through the heart of the Potteries towns.”
The Mainline brand was previously used by First Potteries’ predecessor in the years following deregulation for a service that ran via all six towns of Stoke-on-Trent and which was a precursor to the current operator’s 3 group of services.