Looking beyond the current situation, one of the great challenges we are going to face is getting people, in particular commuters, back on buses. Although the perception of public transport has always been mainly positive, active user numbers were very low even before the pandemic. When lockdown can be lifted, a key challenge will be attracting new passengers as well as welcoming back regular users. Boosting public transport use is an essential step if we are to meet ambitious net zero targets. To address these issues, the government has been working on a National Bus Strategy for some time. Hopefully, we will see this document released soon and look forward to engaging with government and other stakeholders in this important area.
Current business conditions are challenging, but feedback from most of our members suggests that the commercial vehicle sector is well placed to bounce back strongly. Many of them have taken the opportunity to restructure and invest in new products and systems. This is crucial if we are to maximise the opportunities offered by the decarbonisation plan for the sector and government’s target for fleet electrification.
New, cleaner technologies are being brought to market more and more as manufacturers continue to invest in a low emission future. A worthwhile reminder therefore that this year’s CV Show, an opportunity to see the best our sector has to offer, will be opening registrations to exhibitors next month. Be sure to look ahead to the future, and save the dates of 8-10 June in your diary.
