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.
CPT to run industry-wide recruitment week in February
The Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) has announced it will run an industry-wide recruitment initiative next month to help tackle the current driver shortage.
Between 21-27 February the trade body will work with coach and bus operators to run open days and local recruitment drives in order to bring more drivers into the sector.
Members will be equipped with a "myth busting sheet" to fight negative perceptions, and an online map where potential recruits can find local operators. Press release templates will also be provided for use with local media.
An open session with Senior National Account Manager for passenger transport at the Department for Work and Pensions, Carl Widdowson, will be hosted as part of the initiative.
CPT says the recruitment week, which is being supported by the Department for Transport, will be central to encouraging more people to consider careers in the coach and bus sector.
"As we exit the pandemic and seek to grow the number of people travelling by coach and bus, to help us hit important net zero targets it is vital that operators have sufficient drivers to be able to run the services people need," says CPT Operations Director Keith McNally. "Many drivers once they enter the industry stay for decades and our recruitment week will help showcase the benefits of a career in coach and bus."
Adds Transport Minister Baroness Vere: "This industry initiative supports the wider work we’re doing to help people become bus drivers, including our measures to make 50,000 more coach, bus and HGV driving tests available each year."
CPT says there are currently around one in 10 driver jobs vacant across the sector.
Operators looking to find out more about the recruitment week should contact Mr McNally at [email protected]