Today’s podcast is all about change, but it’s not primarily the sexy kind of technological change that we often think of when we think about change.

It’s about culture, community and people - but it’s the stuff that makes the difference between success and failure in the transport sector.

Jane Cole, MD of Blackpool Transport, describes the changes she’s made happen and how empowerment, community focus and investment have transformed the transport service in one of the most deprived towns in Europe.

Caroline Seton is the co-founder of the London bike share firm Forest.

They’re in unambiguous second place to Lime, the great global bicycle behemoth - but, famously, being second makes a firm try harder.

In today’s episode, we talk about the challenges of being a shared mobility firm in a municipal environment, the realities of whether cities actually want sustainable transport and the changes she would make to transport policy.

Above all - more bike parking and less car parking please!

The Budget has finally been unveiled.

But what does it mean for transport?

In this week’s episode, I review the budget with Sir Michael Holden, former Chairman of Directly Operated Railways.

We discuss the impact on railway economics (and whether there’s money for the fares freeze), whether the fuel duty increases will actually happen, the Government’s commitment to capital investment and - above all - the need for an overarching strategy.

The world’s moving faster than ever, and policy changes with dizzying pace.

It was only in 2021 that the Conservatives issued the most pro-bus policy document probably ever published by a British Government.

The National Bus Strategy was something of a marvel for those of us who want to see better public transport.

It promised a vision of bus lanes in every town, coordinated networks and exceptional quality - all backed up by billions of pounds of new investment.

Today, Leon Daniels and I look back in time to publication day and review how it’s gone since then.

Data City Founder Tom Forth has been told some extraordinary reasons why the North underperforms the South.

Including that it’s down to Northerners being stupid. Or drunk.

He’s even read academic papers outlining these theories.

In a fascinating episode of the podcast, we get into a discussion on the real reasons.

They go back a thousand years but transport and our hyper-centralised way of making decisions are right at the heart of it.

I really hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Why does electrification in the UK cost so much more than in the rest of Europe?

And why does it always seem to go wrong?

In today’s episode I talk to Managing Director (UK) of Furrer+Frey, the leading Swiss engineering company about the root case: HM Treasury funding decision-making.

The key question: will it get better?…

𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁, and the Alderman responsible for transport and mobility policy.

Today’s episode is a masterclass in the art of transport changemaking: the focus on experimentation, clear strategy and the need for urgency.

He also highlights the power of storytelling, the limitations of data and highlights that, despite the death threats, the Circulation Plan helped him increase his majority at the next election.

Come with me to Belgium and see just what a motivated, inspiring transport changemaker can do.

Founding a startup is hard, but it’s even harder when you’re dealing with the most painful and emotive moments in peoples’ lives.

That’s what Dan Garrett decided to do when he created Farewill, now the country’s largest “Deathtech” firm.

His business enables peoples to self-serve themselves wills, as well as offering other services including probate and even cremation.

How do you move fast when you’re dealing with something as important as death? How do you get the right balance between risk, rules and pace?

Mini Holland is the poster child for the transformation of an urban area.

As the first Low Traffic Neighbourhood of the modern era, council reps from across Britain (and Europe) have visited to learn lessons.

Not that I needed to travel far: it all happened in Walthamstow, where I live, and my kids were two of the many who benefited.

It was the vision of 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝘆𝗱𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀, and he tells me the full inspirational story in today’s episode.

Autonomous public transport has the potential to transform our cities.

One city that is taking the lead in experimenting with autonomous public transport is Paris, under the leadership of James Dick at RATP.

In today’s episode, he tells me just how close he believes they are to delivering autonomous buses out on the road, driverless and at scale.

Gian-Mattia Schucan, 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗾, wants travelling by public transport to be effortless: no tickets, no gates, no stress. We talk about the journey from idea to reality, what operators really want from innovators and how to make change happen in public transport.

I’m sad to say that this is the last episode of Season 3 but, don’t worry, I’ll be back with Season 4 in September.

“It's fine when you're swinging big to have a few misses in a controlled environment” - 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 making it very clear that it’s fine for public sector organisations to try things and fail.

In today’s episode, I talk to Jonny about what value for money really means, why BCR is often misused and how the NAO supports innovation in the public sector.

Do take a listen to this one!

𝗢𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗣 went from rail consultant to MP in a political whirlwind. We talk innovation in legacy sectors, the chaos of becoming an MP overnight and the culture of Westminster.

Plus: why UK transport policy feels stuck, and how we could actually fix electrification

I spoke to Lars Strömgren, 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, about the city’s journey from car-centricity to a cycling-friendly capital.

We talked about his childhood on the back of his grandmother’s bike, the cultural shifts that made cycling mainstream and the urban planning philosophy that underpins Stockholm’s transformation - including how storytelling, kid-focused design and even building with wood all fit into a sustainable transport vision.

My guest this week is Anjali Devadasan, 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘃𝗮, a startup generating energy from passing vehicles and trains. Her turbines harness airflow to power local infrastructure like lighting and EV chargers.

We talked about the technology, the challenges of scaling, and her personal drive to tackle climate change, inspired by her family’s personal experience.

A truly inspirational conversation with someone who’s achieved incredible things very early in her career.

In Oslo, Christian Willoch and his team at Ruter are using autonomous vehicles to strengthen public transport – not compete with it.

I visit their pilot project, where real passengers are already riding Ruter-branded autonomous vehicles in an outer suburb, and we talk about why public service, not robotaxis, is the future.

I also take a ride – and you can listen in as I give a live commentary from the back seat.

Stephen Bush, 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗘𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨, is one of the few political journalists who truly gets transport policy.

In this episode, we talk about why transport matters far more to economic productivity than politicians realise, why ambition in major infrastructure projects has declined since the financial crisis and why simply nationalising services won't fix public transport.

Elke Van den Brandt has transformed Brussels' streets – and taken a political battering for doing so.

As the 𝗕𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿, she’s championed slower speeds, safer roads and public spaces that feel more like “living rooms than corridors”.

It was a superb insight into how political bravery, behavioural science and empathy (backed up by strong leadership) can work together to reshape cities for the better.

A taster of what’s coming up in Season Four

Tom Nutley joins me to unpack the challenges and missed opportunities in micromobility.

From transport dead spots to Silicon Valley hype, we explore how cities and operators can deliver real public good through better integration, infrastructure and sustainable models. Tom doesn’t hold back!