Local Transport MinisterSimon Lightwood MP with Jean-Marc Gales and Jo Bamford, during a visit to NewPower in Oxfordshire last month.
Leaders from Wrightbus, Europe’s fastest-growing bus maker, have met with government and local authority figureheads at the UK’s first bus manufacturing panel in Sheffield this week.
The gathering was the culmination of a plan first announced during a visit from the Transport Secretary to Oxford last year to celebrate Wrightbus unveiling the largest ever deal in its history - building up to 1,200 buses worth half a billion pounds for operator Go-Ahead.
Green entrepreneur Jo Bamford, who rescued Wrightbus from administration in 2019 and has since turned into a manufacturing powerhouse, alongside CEO Jean-Marc Gales, attended the inaugural meeting alongside Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood MP, Metro Mayors Oliver Coppard (South Yorkshire) and Tracey Brabin (West Yorkshire) and industry experts from organisations including the Urban Transport Group and the Confederation of Passenger Transport.
Discussions explored ways of ensuring that the UK remains a leader in bus building while helping local authorities to deliver their transport ambitions.
Mr Lightwood said:
"It was great to kick off our first bus manufacturing expert panel, bringing together leading bus manufacturers, Metro Mayors, and industry experts to focus on cleaner air and improved transport across the country.
“By creating a pathway for UK manufacturing growth, we are not just transforming our fleets – we are prioritising high quality buses that meet the needs of passengers, boosting regional economies to drive up living standards, and putting a coalition of highly skilled manufacturers and passionate local leaders at the heart of our zero-emission future."
The event featured various panels, with discussions including the importance of prioritising the manufacture of high quality, zero-emission buses across the regions. Manufacturers stressed the economic benefits of the technology felt by the workers building and using buses, and said it had potential to support jobs across the country, and help the Government deliver on its promise of Growth through its Plan for Change.
Other discussions included how agencies can work together to build a “passenger first” bus network, with enhanced accessibility and inclusivity.
The event comes ahead of the Bus Services Bill which will give local leaders greater control over their services. The Bill will also include a measure to end the use of new diesel and petrol buses across England from no earlier than 2030.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said:
“We have been abundantly clear that we want to position ourselves as a global leader in zero-emission transportation, through both our Wrightbus and newly-launched Rightech brands: 95% of all our sales in 2024 were zero-emission compared to 95% diesel in 2019.
“The UK has everything it needs to make it the world leader in the manufacture of zero-emission buses so it is important that manufacturers like us have these opportunities to speak to political leaders, policymakers and those across the industry so that we can work together to achieve these goals.”