Lunch with Leon

120: Anna-Jane Hunter

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 05 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000

This month, Leon speaks with accomplished rail professional Anna-Jane Hunter, Chair of CILT UK's Board of Trustees and Partner at railway consultancy Winder Phillips. Their conversation spans the evolution of CILT and the valuable role it plays for the industry, and gets into the nitty gritty of rail reform, including the movers and shakers behind it and the challenge of fares and public trust.

119: Sam Mullins

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

In the latest episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks to historian Sam Mullins, the former director of the London Transport Museum and author of the new book Every Journey Matters, which commemorates 25 years of Transport for London (TfL). Sam shares his career journey from curating community museums to transforming the London Transport Museum, with the conversation also exploring TfL's history since its formation in 2000 - highlighting key events like the pedestrianisation of Trafalgar Square, the congestion charge and transport planning for the 2012 London Olympics.

118: Laura Laker

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Leon delves into the world of active transport in this week's episode, joined by cycling journalist and co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast, Laura Laker. Laura, who has forged a career focused on cycling and urban transport, discusses how she first fell in love with cycling, the success of the cycling lobby in persuading city mayors to allocate road space for cyclists and the challenges of implementing cycling infrastructure, alongside the rise of e-scooters and electric bikes.

117: Gareth Williams

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Leon’s guest is Gareth Williams, General Secretary and Chief Strategic Partnerships Officer at Eurostar. After a twenty-year career in government, including prominent leadership roles at the Department for Transport, Gareth joined Eurostar almost fifteen years ago. In this episode, he and Leon discuss how Eurostar bounced back after COVID (despite a lack of government funding), its upcoming double-decker trains designed to reach Germany and Switzerland by the early 2030s, and the extraordinary business costs behind the cost of a Eurostar ticket.

116: Marie Daly

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

This week, Leon Daniels speaks with Marie Daly, Chief Operating Officer for Transport for Wales and Chair of Women in Rail. Marie covers a range of topics, from her non-traditional career path into transport from telecomms and energy, to crisis management during severe weather and the "one network" vision for Wales. The pair also discuss the upcoming transition to Great British Railways, and the evolving landscape of gender diversity and representation within the industry.

115: From Freewheeling: a discussion with Thomas Ableman

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 05:00:00 +0000

Previously broadcast on Thomas Ableman's Freewheeling podcast, Leon and Thomas discuss progress towards the Buses Policy document originally announced by Boris' government

114: Leon Daniels OBE

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In a special Christmas edition of Lunch with Leon, Leon Daniels is in the hotseat! Guest host Simon Lederman grills Leon on his 40+ years in the transport industry, with Leon sharing some stories from throughout his career and his hot takes on topical transport issues. He also answers some listener questions (some of whom have been special guests on the podcast themselves!).

113: David Leeder

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

Ahead of the UK's Autumn Budget, Leon explores the UK's somewhat gloomy economic situation with eminent transport expert David Leeder. With soaring national debt squeezing essential transport budgets, David shares his insights on the potential impact on the transport industry and his crucial advice for local authorities on quickly securing promised settlements and tapping into private sector funding.

112: Karen Dee

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 04 Nov 2025 05:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Karen Dee, CEO of Aiports UK, the trade association representing the interests of UK airports. The conversation covers growth in the aviation market, the challenge of decoupling emissions from demand, tackling the transport-wide skills crisis, leveraging high-value air freight and the critical role of retail revenue in supporting low-cost carriers.

111: Paul Whitnell

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In the latest episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon pops his head out of the transport bubble and speaks with a transport-adjacent guest: Paul Whitnell, president of the British Irish Trade Alliance (BITA), a trade and commerce business organisation who describe themselves as "people that know people who help people". Paul shares more about his philosophy when it comes to business and the BITA organisation, whose members across the construction, hospitality, rail and logistics industries help each other through collective wisdom and experience.

110: Andreas Schörling

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Leon learns more about the diverse career of transport leader Andreas Schörling, Senior Managing Director of Flixbus UK. Andreas, who lead the launch of Flixbus in the UK in 2021, discusses the company's ambitious plan to build the largest intercity coach network in the UK. The episode also touches on the evolving perception of coach travel, the transformative impact of AI on the transport industry and Andreas' take on work-life harmony.

www.leondaniels.co.uk
www.passengertransport.co.uk
flixbus.co.uk

109: Nigel Holness

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, rail veteran Nigel Holness reflects on his 40-year career, from his early days as a signalling consultant on the London Underground to his current role as a leading transport consultant, advising on major global projects. Leon and Nigel discuss TfL's evolution, their experiences of the 7/7 London bombings, 2012 Olympics, and the establishment of the Elizabeth line. Nigel also shares his perspective on the challenges of systems integration and battery operation in rail.

108: Anna Earl

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 22 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Leon speaks with nutritionist Anna Earl about the challenges that transport workers face maintaining nutrition, hydration, and wellbeing. Anna shares her advice for workers on how to overcome these challenges and develop a healthier lifestyle.

107: Richard Smith

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In the latest episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon talks with Richard Smith, Managing Director of the Road Haulage Association (RHA) about the key issues facing the road freight industry, including the challenges of transitioning HGVs to Net Zero, the deteriorating condition of road infrastructure and the broader implications of AI. There's also plenty of good career advice from these two transport leaders throughout the podcast!

https://www.rha.uk.net/
https://www.passengertransport.co.uk/
https://www.leondaniels.co.uk/

106: Ben Plowden

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 04:00:00 +0000

In the latest episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks with Ben Plowden, the new Chief Executive of the Campaign for Better Transport (CBT). This lively conversation covers various hot topics in the transport industry - the potential softening of the green agenda, rail nationalisation and rail fare debates, the importance of regional connectivity and how to address car dependency. Leon also picks Ben's brains on the anticipated Integrated National Transport Strategy, and finds out more about CBT's Better Transport Week, taking place from 16th - 22nd June.

https://www.passengertransport.co.uk/
https://bettertransport.org.uk/

105: David Astill

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 20 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Leon Daniels talks to David Astill, the new chairman of of ALBUM, the Association of Local Bus Managers (and Managing Director of Nottingham City Transport), just after their successful annual conference in Nottingham. David shares some of his highlights from the conference, as well as discussing the impact of local elections on transport policy, the importance of local ownership and management in the bus industry and ALBUM's future under his stewardship, and with Alex Perry as policy advisor.

104: Bill Hiron

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 06 May 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Ahead of the organisation's conference on 12-14th May, Leon is joined by former ALBUM chair Bill Hiron MBE to discuss his extensive career in the bus industry, from his days at Thamesway and First Group to owning Stevensons of Essex. The conversation also explores the evolution of London's bus tendering system, Bill's view on the Buses Bill, and his seven-year chairmanship of The Association of Local Bus Managers (ALBUM), that supports the UK's municipally owned and independent SME bus sector. Plus, the pair celebrate the joy of The Bus Archive in Droitwich.

103: Sophie Bancroft

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Leon speaks with Sophie Bancroft, HR Director at Network Rail, about her career so far - including various previous roles at Transport for London. The discussion also explores attitudes to rail reform, Sophie's love of the Metropolitan Line and running transport during the London 2012 Olympics - including the tactical use of fake road works! Listen out for nods to several other great transport industry leaders, some fun stories from throughout Sophie and Leon’s careers and a celebration of the London Transport Museum.

102: Shravan Joshi

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 25 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

On episode 102 of Lunch with Leon, Leon meets Shravan Joshi MBE, Chair of the Planning and Transportation Committee for the City of London, to discuss key transport priorities for the Square Mile, from the successful pedestrianisation of Bank Junction, to the evolution of the vibrant seven-day city ecosystem. The two transport leaders also discuss significant planned office developments in the Eastern cluster, the challenges of creating a sustainable, affordable transportation environment for a young workforce, and the importance of making London a destination of choice for SMEs to grow beyond IPO.

101: Sean Collins

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 11 Mar 2025 05:00:00 +0000

For this episode we're taking to the water, as Leon catches up with Sean Collins, CEO of Thames Clippers. Twenty five years ago, Sean co-founded the now iconic riverboat service that has transformed London's river transport and carries 5.3 million passengers annually up and down the Thames. He chats with Leon about recent innovations such as the forthcoming electric ferry, Uber coming on board as a partner, future plans for expansion, celebrity passengers and much more!

100: Lord Peter Hendy

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 05:00:00 +0000

The Lunch with Leon podcast is back for 2025, and we’re kicking off the year with episode 100! To mark the occasion, we have secured a suitably impressive guest: Lord Peter Hendy of Richmond Hill CBE. Currently serving as Minister of State for Rail, Lord Hendy is one of the country’s foremost transport leaders and a passionate advocate for the industry, having previously served as Commissioner for Transport for London, and Chair of Network Rail throughout his fifty-year transport career. Leon catches with Lord Hendy to discuss his appointment in the Labour government, how the transport industry can provide an exciting job for life, and the future of heritage transport.

99: Christmas Special 2024

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 20 Dec 2024 08:06:43 +0000

Sharon Kindleysides, Christian Wolmar and Steve Gooding join Leon Daniels in person for their thoughts on the year

98: Thomas Ableman returns!

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 10 Dec 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Almost four years after his first appearance on the Lunch with Leon podcast, Thomas Ableman is back! Leon catches up with Thomas - founder of transport and mobility consultancy Freewheeling - on his time at Transport for London as Director of Strategy and Innovation, and the pair take a deep dive into AI. It's poised to revolutionise the transport sector - but what do organisations need to do to adapt and handle this shift?

97: Emma Hignett returns!

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 10:14:20 +0000

It's not often that we have repeat guests on Lunch with Leon, but we've made an exception for the wonderful Emma Hignett - aka the voice of London Buses, The Elizabeth Line, Go North East and Go Yorkshire. Leon chats to Emma, a brilliant voiceover artist, about her unexpected career in transport, the impact of AI on the voiceover industry, some of the quirkier stops she's recorded in her 'bus voice' and more. Listen to the end for a bonus musical surprise!

96: David Pugsley & other friends

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 04:00:00 +0000

An episode of two halves! With Leon due to assume the post of the Master of The Worshipful Company of Carmen (one of the oldest livery companies in London), he speaks to outgoing Master Carman David Pugsley about David’s past year in post. Then, we revisit highlights and hot takes from some of Leon’s favourite episodes of the podcast, featuring transport experts Steve Norris, Christian Wolmar, Simon Calder and Will Whitehorn.

Passenger Transport: www.passengertransport.co.uk

95: Edward Adoo & Simon Lederman

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 10 Sep 2024 04:00:00 +0000

Leon is joined by broadcasters and transport enthusiasts Edward Adoo and Simon Lederman, who discuss when their love of buses and trains began, reminisce about the enduring appeal of the iconic London Transport roundel and contemplate the delicate balance between progress and heritage in the transport sector.

Passenger Transport: www.passengertransport.co.uk

94: 120 Years of Hong Kong Tramway

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 04:00:00 +0000

A special episode of the show, with live speakers from the recent 120th anniversary of the Hong Kong Tramway, affectionately known by locals as the 'Ding Ding'. Leon also speaks with fellow event attendee Vicky Koo, Global chair of Women in Logistics and Transport (WiLAT), about the work they are undertaking to help support the careers of women in the transport and logistics industry.

Passenger Transport: www.passengertransport.co.uk

93: David Boden, Stagecoach East

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 16 Jul 2024 04:00:00 +0000

The latest guest on the Lunch with Leon podcast is David Boden, Business Development Director, Stagecoach East and Chair of the CP Bus Alliance. Leon and David discuss their shared passion for putting customer needs at the centre of transport planning, strategies for effective bus and rail integration and the headache of road works on bus services. Plus, how do we tackle the growing epidemic of ‘geographical ignorance’ and its impact on public transport users today? Note - this episode was recorded before the UK General Election on 4th July 2024.

Passenger Transport: www.passengertransport.co.uk

92: Paul Comfort & Simon Reed

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 04:00:00 +0000

This week, Leon is joined by transport evangelist Paul Comfort and technology expert Simon Reed to discuss Paul’s latest book, The New Future of Public Transportation. Listen now for a deep dive into the hot topics in the transit industry as well as insights from the book featuring expertise from 30 transport leaders worldwide.

Passenger Transport: www.passengertransport.co.uk
Transit Unplugged podcast: https://transitunplugged.com/

91: Stephen Bramall (General Election Special)

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 11 Jun 2024 03:00:00 +0000

UK General Election Special: With less than a month to go until polling day, Leon is joined by political consultant Stephen Bramall for a no-holds-barred conversation about how a new government could impact transport in the UK. Listen now to for a dive into the challenges of devolution, Stephen’s thoughts on how a shaken-up front bench might impact governance and whether transport will feature on campaign agendas. The two also discuss the political hot potato of road pricing and how changing travel habits and technologies could impact the face of transport in five years’ time.

Passenger Transport: https://www.passengertransport.co.uk/

90: Jo Field

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 21 May 2024 11:37:00 +0000

Jo Field, Founder of JFG Communications and President of Women in Transport sits down with Leon to discuss the challenges women face in advancing in transport, and what can be done to close the gender diversity gap.

Passenger Transport: https://www.passengertransport.co.uk/
Women in Transport: https://www.womenintransport.com/

89: Caroline Pidgeon

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 22 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

LibDem London Assembly Member Caroline Pidgeon comes to Lunch with Leon and talks about the successes of the past and the opportunities for the future...

88: Beverley Bell CBE

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 08 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Former Senior Traffic Commissioner Beverley Bell talks over lunch with Leon Daniels about her times as the most senior regulator for freight and passenger industries, and about what she has been busy doing since.

87: Will Whitehorn

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 06:07:00 +0000

We travel into space with Will Whitehorn the former CEO of Virgin Galactic as we discuss how huge an effect the space industry does for transport in its widest sense. Will also reflects on his time with Virgin Group and as Deputy Chairman of Stagecoach and the incredible progress transport has made with technology

86: Siofra Neary

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 22:24:39 +0000

In this episode the Commercial Director for Trustd.net Siofra Neary talks to Leon Daniels about what modern technology can do to make sure the right person delivers the right goods to the right person using digital technology.

85: Jason Prince Director Urban Transport Group

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 06:30:00 +0000

Six months into his role as Director Jason talks about the work of the Urban Transport Group and his hopes for this General Election year and beyond.

84: Nick Reed

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 10:52:35 +0000

Dr Nick Reed is a world leading expert on Connected and Autonomous Vehicles and the human factors involved in road safety

83: Lilli Matson

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 06:50:00 +0000

As President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, Leon Daniels is bringing together safety experts from aviation, marine, rail and road/passenger. We have such to learn rom each other. These webcasts are seen by CILT members live in a webcast. Here now is the audio of the most recent presentation with Lilli Matson, Chief health, Safety and Environment Officer at Transport for London

82: Candice Mason

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Sun, 19 Nov 2023 20:45:00 +0000

Leon Daniels talks to Candice Mason, ahead of an important event at the House of Commons promoting Women in Bus & Coach as well as her experiences as running Masons Coach Hire and her own other entrepreneurial interests

81: Australian British Infrastructure Catalyst

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 03 Nov 2023 20:59:02 +0000

Leon Daniels joins former TfL Commissioners Mike Brown, Lord Peter Hendy and other transport leaders at this event in Australia where we learn that we have so much in common; where joined-up transport infrastructure improvements are underway; and where there are huge opportunities.

80: Ian Foster and Ian Warr Catlynn Transport Consultants

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Industry heavyweights Ian Forster and Ian Warr talk about their new venture. You can contact them at 07939 677530 or by email ian.foster@catlynn-transport-consultants.co.uk and ian.warr@catlynn-transport-consultants.co.uk

79: David Savage

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Sun, 01 Oct 2023 18:39:49 +0000

David Savage VP UK and Ireland for Geotab discusses with Leon Daniels the huge advantage that on-board data can bring to a transport business

78: Willie Patterson

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 21 Sep 2023 13:56:57 +0000

This episode we meet the Chief Executive of Asset Alliance Group, a large commercial vehicle finance company. It was recorded before the Prime Minister's announcement regarding the 2030 transition to electric vehicles

77: Damian Horton Co-Founder Eloy Ltd

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 13:18:39 +0000

Join Leon talking to Eloy's Damian Horton, a winner of the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund 150 competition which allowed this company to conduct some interesting research designed to improve the safety and convenience of some tricky motoring situations.

76: Andrew Luckett, Director, BluMarbl

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:23:06 +0000

This week's Lunch with Leon is ITT Hub 2023 speaker and Director at BluMarbl, Andrew Luckett. Leon Daniels and Andrew pick up their conversation from the show on how a zero-emission world for coaches can be developed in this generation.

75: Natasha Fry, Head of Sales, Mer UK

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 04 Jul 2023 11:11:41 +0000

In episode 75 of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks to Natasha Fry, Head of Sales at Mer UK about what's new at the business, which is one of the fastest-growing European EV charging companies, and their UK Fleet Services business unit.

74: Norman Baker, Director of External Affairs, Campaign for Better Transport

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:19:17 +0000

In this week's episode, Leon talks to Norman Baker, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Department for Transport. Leon and Norman discuss his current role as Director of External Affairs at Campaign for Better Transport and what the organisation is doing to make transport better, greener and fairer.

73: David Hart, Director, Momentum Transport Consultancy

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 08 May 2023 16:31:00 +0000

Ahead of ITT Hub 2023, the UK's most important transport technology event, Leon Daniels catches up with David Hart, Director at Momentum Transport Consultancy, one of the UK's leading transport and operational consultants.

72: Sharon Kindleysides, CEO, Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 16:43:58 +0000

In this epsiode, Leon catches up with Sharon Kindleysides, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport (CILT), to discuss the latest news from the institute and the big, wide world of transport and logistics.

71: Richard Dilks, Chief Executive at CoMoUK

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 13:09:43 +0000

In this episode, Leon's guest is another friend and expert from the world of transport, Richard Dilks, Chief Executive at CoMoUK. CoMoUK is the national organisation for shared transport, a charity for promoting its social, economic and environmental benefits. Shared transport means schemes such as car clubs and bike share where people can use a mode of transport without having to own it.

Leon and Richard discuss with whats happened in the shared mobility sector and trends that are being seen across the industry.

70: Simon Calder, Travel Correspondent, The Independent

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 15:35:12 +0000

Leon Daniels catches up with Simon Calder, The Independent's Travel Correspondent and news broadcaster, in this episode of Lunch with Leon. Simon discusses his daily travel podcast, the current workforce issues in the UK travel sector and the trends and news that is seeing travel change every week.

69: Roger Davies

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 08:47:29 +0000

Happy New Year, listeners - Lunch with Leon is back with the first interview of 2023. To kick off January, Leon speaks to Roger Davies, a well-respected commentator on the global commercial transport industry and former senior bus manager, and discusses the 2023 budget and upcoming sector trends. Roger first spoke on the podcast nearly two years ago in episode 31, and is back by popular demand!

68: Steve Edwards, Chief Executive, Living Streets

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 10:32:48 +0000

In the latest instalment of Lunch with Leon, Leon speaks to the Chief Executive of Living Streets, Steve Edwards, on what the charity has been up to and the progress it has made.

Since Steve has taken his new role, the charity has seen investment in its work in Scotland double; additional funding for its walk-to-school programme in England; and changes to the Highway Code to put pedestrians at the top of a new road user hierarchy rolled out across Great Britain.

67: Alex Warner, MD of AJW Experiences Group Ltd

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 12:16:17 +0000

In this episode, Leon chats with Alex Warner, Managing Director of AJW Experiences Group Ltd, former MD of Tracsis Transport Consultancy.

Leon and Alex discuss his 30-year career in the bus, rail and aviation industries and the launch of his new business, AJW Experiences.

66: ITS America Global Congress

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 30 Sep 2022 13:58:00 +0000

In this special edition episode, sponsored by One.Network, Leon heads to Los Angeles Conference Centre for the ITS America Global Congress to discuss the future of transport with key leaders in the space:

Joanna Pinkerton President and CEO, Central Ohio Transit Authority
Tim Haile Director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority and his Chair Chris Kelley
Stephen Gota Executive Officer, Program management LA Country Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Ananth Prasad President, Florida Transportation Builders’ Association

65: Lunch with Leon episode 65 - Alex Hornby

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 08:02:13 +0000

After the summer break, Lunch of Leon returns with a series of guests from the world of transport.

In this episode, Leon chats with Alex Hornby, CEO of Transdev Blazefield, which runs around 550 buses and employ 1,400 people at our bases in Blackburn, Burnley, Rochdale, Halifax, Huddersfield, Bradford, Harrogate, Keighley, Malton and York. Leon and Alex discuss the current state of the industry, how customer behaviour is changing and their customer-first approach.

64: Lunch with Leon episode 64 - Duncan Burt

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 15 Jun 2022 08:35:21 +0000

In this week's Lunch with Leon, our host is back on the road - this time at ITT Hub in Farnborough, where he enjoyed lunch and a catch up with National Grid's Duncan Burt.

Taking you backstage at one of the industry's biggest national events, Leon and Duncan talk all about his role as Chief Sustainability Officer - looking at how to support the wider move to electric vehicles across large fleets, reducing company emissions, and supporting grids worldwide as they replicate the work of the UK and transition to electric energy.

If you missed ITT Hub this year, this episode offers a unique insight into how the event went and introduces us to some of the hot topics discussed both between Leon and Duncan and as part of the wider conference.

63: Lunch with Leon episode 63 - Victoria Whitehead & Joy Newton

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 25 May 2022 07:57:14 +0000

Leon Daniels OBE has lunch with Victoria Whitehead (Managing Director, Head of Infrastructure and Transport at Lloyds Bank) and Joy Newton (Associate Director of Sustainability and ESG Finance at Lloyds Bank).

As the government is urging us towards net zero, and transport is currently such a huge emissions contributor, what’s the role of technology and what’s the bank going to do about it? asks Leon.

The answers, we discover, are absolutely fascinating.

The conversation ranges from the ‘Energy Trilemma’ – finding a balance between security, affordability, and sustainability – to how we are seeing the same thing in the transport sector.

Discussing which technologies are likely to make the most impact, we discover that the bank is looking at a remarkable 85 technologies that are crucial for energy transition, of which quite a lot cover transport.

They also chat about building a UK hydrogen economy and what its role might be for vehicles. The packed lunch concludes by discussing the support available for SMEs to help their net-zero transition. And, we discover what the bank is doing to help SMEs who are ‘nervous’ about making the first step to net-zero transition.

62: Lunch with Leon episode 62 - Rupert Clubb

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 05 May 2022 10:17:49 +0000

Rupert Clubb from Transport for the South East (TfSE) chats with Leon Daniels OBE ahead of the region’s sub-national transport body’s appearance at ITT Hub on 11-12 May.

There, TfSE will launch its freight strategy, reveals Rupert: “Using ITT Hub as a springboard is really exciting. Then later in the summer we will launch a consultation on our strategic investment plan.”

They mull over the perception of freight and the many positives that TfSE discovered when it engaged with the sector as part of its creation of the strategy.

We also discover the size of the south-east in economic terms, and why it is home to so many continental gateways.

This brings challenges for freight, we learn, which often uses the region as a transit corridor to reach other parts of the UK, and why it’s important that the corridor is effective so that it doesn’t stifle growth in the rest of the country.

61: Lunch with Leon episode 61 - Paul Jewell

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 04 May 2022 14:36:37 +0000

Will we run out of electricity?

That’s the most-often asked question of Paul Jewell, when people discover that he’s System Development Manager at Western Power Distribution (WPD), covering the Midlands, South West and South Wales.

His answer is simple: No, we won’t. But getting it to the right places in the right quantity, involves planning and forethought.

As a Distribution Network Operator (DNO), WPD runs the cable network that supplies electricity to premises.

He chats with Leon Daniels OBE to explain what WPD is already doing to ensure that any domestic customer wanting a heat pump or electric vehicle (EV) charger can have an upgraded supply (if it’s needed).

“If you want to have it, we will make the capacity – it’s a bold boast, but that’s world we need to be in if people are going to decarbonise.”

He talks about the experiences of WPD’s Electric Nation project, seven years ago during the early EV adopter phase, and the important lessons learned.

He also chats about the challenges of connecting commercial fleets to the mains, how extra capacity can be provided for motorway service areas, and why WPD is exhibiting at ITT Hub.

60: Lunch with Leon episode 60 - UITP Dubai

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 14:38:42 +0000

We’ve got a pretty good idea about what the post-pandemic recovery for public transport looks like in Britain, but what about the rest of the world?

Leon Daniels OBE travels to the MENA Transport Congress and Exhibition (MTCE) at the Dubai World Trade Centre to catch up with transport leaders from around the world.

He discovers that the answer varies between a 25-100% recovery, on different continents for a variety of reasons, his various guests explain.

Talking to operators and suppliers, he also explores how public transport can fill the gap between what the public wants to pay (generally very little) and what the transport costs to provide.

He finishes by finding out about the transformative effect of data on operations and predictions on how personal mobility is likely to change.

59: Lunch with Leon episode 59 - Rees Jeffreys Road Fund awards

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 07:56:57 +0000

In the 59th episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon takes us to the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund awards ceremony - founded in the name of Rees Jeffreys who was both a great cyclist and an integral part of the Road Improvements Council.

The Road Fund was established by Jeffreys (1871 – 1954), and now the charity offers financial support to education and project support - and to mark the 150 years since Jeffreys’ birth, the trustees decided to host a competition. This competition is the culmination of the charity’s work, inviting schools, universities, agencies, and other organisations to create and deliver innovative ideas to benefit the future.

In this episode, Leon takes us to the centre of the awards ceremony as the charity asks organisations to come up with ways of making our roads and highways better for everyone over the next 50 years.

Who won? Listen to this episode to find out!

58: Lunch with Leon episode 58 - Glenn Bemment

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 04 Apr 2022 07:41:02 +0000

In this episode of Lunch with Leon, our host talks all things Net Zero with Glenn Bemment, who is the Head of Sustainability for SMEs and Mid Corporates businesses at Lloyds Bank. A key focus for Glenn is how Lloyds can help their clients transition to the low carbon future we need. Throughout the episode, the discussion revolves around the latest research Lloyds commissioned across more than 1,000 SME businesses, to understand the importance of sustainability and the key hurdles businesses face when putting sustainability initiatives into action. Glenn covers both the opportunities this presents, and some key actions businesses can take to get started on their journey. You can access the research and read it for yourself here: From Now to Net Zero: A Practical Guide for SMEs | Lloyds Bank

57: Lunch with Leon episode 57 - Beamish Museum

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 30 Mar 2022 12:36:15 +0000

In this week’s Lunch with Leon, Leon heads to the Northeast of England to visit Beamish - and meet with various members of the museum team.

To start off, Leon learns about the development of the museum since its founding in 1970 - inspired by open air museums around the world which spotlight how life used to be and how life has changed as a result of technology and innovation. Beamish Museum is designed to tell the story of life in the Northeast throughout the years - utilising communities and residents to shroud every exhibition and story in real experiences.

Leon is also given a chance to find out about the transport used in and around the Beamish Museum - which factors old and resorted buses and public transport into the museum to really provide visitors with an immersive experience from start to finish.

An unrivalled look at Beamish Museum and all it has to offer visitors.

56: Lunch with Leon episode 56 - Martijn Gilbert

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 09:51:10 +0000

This week's episode sees Leon sitting down for lunch in the North East of England, with Martijn Gilbert from Go North East.

During this episode, the two discuss investment in the brand-new local bus depot, the rollout of new express buses across key routes in the North East, and the rise in electric buses.

How has the negative perception of public transport during Covid-19 impacted the bus industry? And what is being done to revolutionize and update key messaging? Listen to this episode to find out!

55: Lunch with Leon episode 55 - Christian Wolmar

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 24 Feb 2022 08:58:53 +0000

This week sees Leon sitting down for lunch with Christian Wolmar - a noted railway historian who has appeared on TV, Radio, and is a celebrated author to name just a handful of his accolades and achievements.

In this episode, Leon talks to Christian about his latest book release on Crossrail and its inner operational workings - introducing the motivation behind the book and just some of the projects and releases which are explored in the pages. If you've ever wondered about the £19 billion project to revolutionise the railway in the United Kingdom, this is a great listen for you.

54: Lunch with Leon episode 54 - Dervla McKay

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 04 Feb 2022 08:07:18 +0000

In this week’s episode of Lunch with Leon, Leon is on a whirlwind trip to Dublin to meet with the Managing Director of Aircoach. Dervla McKay was appointed MD of the company following a bright career which started back in 2005 when McKay joined First Group as a graduate trainee. Since then, her experiences have seen her working across public transport usage in England and Ireland, with her focus now on navigating the post-Covid and post-Brexit public transport market.
Things are moving forward for Aircoach with Dervla McKay at the helm - pun 100% intended!

53: Lunch with Leon episode 53 - Roger French

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 11:00:40 +0000

In this week’s episode of Lunch with Leon, our host sits down with Roger French. Roger may be retired from the day-to-day world of public transport but that doesn’t mean he isn’t still in touch with his industry roots - sharing his thoughts on the pending funding and service changes in the public vehicle sector, the rise of low-emission buses, and the changing of peak transport requirements as a result of the pandemic.

Once the Managing Director of Brighton and Hove, Roger shares his own experiences with Leon as the two make their predictions on what’s coming and how the bus and rail industry could adapt to meet changing demand in the coming months and years.

https://twitter.com/BusAndTrainUser

52: Lunch with Leon episode 52 - ITS America

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 08:45:35 +0000

In this first episode of 2022, host Leon sits down with a handful of special guests as he makes his way around ITS America.

Leon’s first conversation is with Chief Executive Officer of one.network, James Harris, who shares his experience of launching a data company in the USA market and provides insight into his time at the ITS America show.

The second guest on Lunch with Leon is the President and Chief Executive of ITS America, Laura Chase, who discusses some of the key insights being shared across the show and reveals that the next ITS America show will be held in September 2022 in LA at the World Congress.

Later guests in this special episode include a senior transportation engineer who discusses traffic control, road users, and the impact of AI on transport; a director of connected and automated vehicle services who talks about whether autonomous vehicles are here to stay; and an automated transportation program manager who shares just some of the opportunities open to those who attend a show like ITS America.

51: Lunch with Leon episode 51 - Ian Constance

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 20 Dec 2021 09:40:06 +0000

In this Lunch with Leon - which actually started life as a dinner in Scotland during COP26 - host Leon Daniels OBE chats to Ian Constance, who is the CEO of the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (and if you don’t know what that is, then it’s a good thing you’ve found your way to this episode!)

Picking up from where their conversation over dinner left off, this episode provides insight into the reality of climate change, talks about the campaign work of Greta Thunberg, and uncovers some of the project work being done by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK to bring innovative solutions and products to the market through funding.

Education, convenience, and understanding are at the centre of this episode - with Ian and Leon discussing just some of the ways that industries can and are bringing customers and consumers on board with their work to support the environment in a positive way.

50: Lunch with Leon episode 50 - Ben Plowden

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 15:11:54 +0000

Fresh from attending COP26, Leon Daniels OBE has lunch with Ben Plowden, formerly of Transport for London, who is one of the country’s leading minds on urban planning, the environment and ensuring a sustainable lifestyle.

They chat about Independence Day and State of Fear, and why the climate emergency doesn’t feel like an emergency, in the way that Covid did last year. And, why COP26 was a partial success.

They chew over what’s happening in British Columbia – a wealthy industry country – that’s been knocked sideways, and why it’s a manifestation of change that’s already here.

49: Lunch with Leon episode 49 - Justin Coetzee & Graeme Inglis

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 08:05:47 +0000

A very different approach to low-carbon cities and public transport, is what sets GoAscendal apart. The difference for the global mobility advisory company founded by Ascendal Group and GoMetro, is that they are consultants who have real-life experience of running public transport.

Now they are harnessing the potential of data technology, by using their Cambridgeshire coach operation as a ‘living lab’, enabling new technology to be tried out in a real operating environment.

Justin Coetzee and Graeme Inglis chat with Leon Daniels OBE about how GoAscendal Labs’ 12-week programme will help sort out what works and what doesn’t.

https://goascendal.com/

48: Lunch with Leon episode 48 - Anthony Smith

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 10:27:16 +0000

Anthony Smith CEO Transport focus – the government-supported independent rail, bus and roads watchdog – chats with Leon Daniels OBE about the problem in the public’s understanding of what green transport actually is.

Anthony talks about the ‘say-do’ problem: what we say is so different to what we do and how this is especially true when it comes to the environment, why attitudinal research is a ‘waste of time’ and why people lie in surveys.

And, he addresses the ‘silos’ of car Vs bus, and reckons we have passed ‘peak public transport’.

Now the government effectively has control of rail and bus, Anthony Smith sets out how the new rail concessions that are replacing franchises could finally bring genuinely integrated transport.

47: Lunch with Leon episode 47 - Ray Stenning

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:10:44 +0000

Do you understand the message you’re giving to your customers? It seems that many companies don’t, reckons renowned brand and design guru Ray Stenning. “It’s not just what you say, but how you say it.” In conversation with Leon Daniels they talk about how public transport’s solution to any problem is to “post a notice.”

The “art of communication is a two-way process” says Ray, and explains how to turn hard messages into welcoming ones.

“I sometimes refer to our profession as being magicians and people distrust magicians; they don’t like the dark arts,” he explains as he talks about the difficulty of culture change within transport companies, before they move on to talk about why the ‘joy of journeys’ is so important.

https://twitter.com/creatingdesire

46: Lunch with Leon episode 46 - Andy Graham

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 08:17:02 +0000

Are we the last generation?

In a face-to-face lunch at Brooklands Museum, Leon Daniels OBE talks with Andy Graham from White Willow Consulting and the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund and learns how he’s created the Britain’s first ‘connected’ Model T Ford – thought to be Europe’s oldest ‘connected’ vehicle.

They move on to talk about what sustainability and what it really means for transport.

45: Lunch with Leon episode 45 - Chris Cheek

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 09:17:59 +0000

Studying the data

Chris Cheek has spent a large part of his life providing a great service for the bus industry, by analysing companies’ financial performance, and publishing the results.

Now, the new second edition of his landmark work Understanding Buses, brings the picture up to date with a clear, non-technical, jargon-free explanation of how the bus industry works.

With a few notable exceptions, he concludes, the industry doesn’t make enough money to cover its costs, investment and obligations.

“Unprecedented uncertainty, “is how he describes the current situation, with no prospect of enough government funding to achieve the aspirations of its newly-published National Bus Strategy.

Despite the post-Covid car-led recovery, it’s not all bad and Chris explains why Europe envies the British bus industry and whether autonomous bus is the answer.

They also talk about the “hidden revolution” that has changed the industry in a positive way. And, how Leon Daniels is easily separated from £2.75…

passtrans.co.uk

44: Lunch with Leon episode 44 - Dr Matthew Niblett and Kris Beuret OBE

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 14:31:39 +0000

What is the importance for humanity for its ability to travel?

With contributions from many people and casting a totally refreshing view on people’s deep-seated desire to travel, is a new book – Why Travel? – edited by Dr Matthew Niblett and Kris Beuret OBE, of the Independent Transport Commission.

Leon Daniels OBE chats to them about editing the book, which has contributions from many people, not just in travel businesses, but beyond.

In essence, it’s an anthology of travel by a range of people, that also takes in the social aspects to understand our need to move and how it shapes our lives.

Kris tells Leon that she was inspired to produce the book after being “fed up” with transport modelling “that assumes that travel is all about time saved.”

The range of contributors shed a different viewpoint from the popularly-presented one that travel is unpleasant and something to be avoided.

They mull over why commuting is beneficial, why an hour is the ideal commute and what we’ve done to replace it

They discuss how much travel we need for our wellbeing, our complicated needs to travel and whether technology is the enemy.

Considering transport policy, there’s a discussion about whether we should move away from thinking about restricting travel to better travel, that then moves onto why ‘slower travel’ can be better travel and the benefit of cheap travel.

They conclude by examining what young people will do to change travel behaviours and how that fits with their generational view of the need to be ‘green’.

https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/why-travel

Kris Beuret

Kris Beuret OBE is the Director of Social Research Associates (SRA). She is a sociologist, previously an academic, and a member of the Independent Transport Commission and Highways England’s Research and Innovation Advisory Board. Kris has advised the House of Commons Transport Committee, TfL, the DfT and overseas governments on disability and diversity issues.

Matthew Niblett

Dr Matthew Niblett is Director of the Independent Transport Commission (ITC) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He oversees the ITC's research portfolio and has presented findings from this research to Ministers and Parliamentary Select Committee enquiries. Matthew holds a doctorate from the University of Oxford and was a Senior Research Associate at Oxford's Transport Studies Unit.

43: Lunch with Leon episode 43 - Paul Sainthouse

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 03 Aug 2021 08:25:36 +0000

It’s a return visit by Paul Sainthouse, Past President of CILT and MD Dawsonrentals Bus & Coach, a year after he appeared in the launch edition of Lunch with Leon.

Chatting with Leon Daniels OBE over lunch, they discuss the state of the market, why it’s cheaper not to operate coaches in the winter, what Paul learned when he visited ITT Hub 2021, and an important Chinese saying about the future…

42: Lunch with Leon episode 42 - Garrett Emmerson

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 08:29:48 +0000

Pulling together for a common cause

Leon Daniels OBE has worked alongside many people in his transport career, and when he was MD Surface Transport at TfL one of his ‘right-hand’ people was Chief Operating Officer: Garrett Emmerson.

At the end of May 2017 Garrett became CEO of the London Ambulance Service (LAS) after it was put into ‘special measures’ by the Care Quality Commission (not due to the quality of care but its organisation) with a brief to turn it around.

Just four days later LAS responded to the London Bridge terrorist attacks (initially reported as a traffic accident), then 11 days later came the Grenfell Tower fire.

Garrett talks with Leon about what happened during his first fortnight in post, and then how as the Covid pandemic unfolded in early 2019 LAS came under massive pressure.

He drew on his experience of organisation of the 2012 London Olympics, “but we had seven years to plan that and knew what was due to happen every day,” he tells Leon. “In the pandemic we had about seven days to respond to a single crisis as it unfolded.”

He recalls the day when he was told that he might lose 25% of staff due to infection, as 999 ambulance call volumes jumped from 5,500 on a ‘busy day’ to 8,500 calls on ‘many days’ and 111 call volumes tripled.

“It’s amazing what you can do when you put the entire resources into a project – I knew what you could do if you devoted the whole organisation to one single task,” he says.

He explains how a new call centre was built over a weekend, as LAS needed more call handlers.

“We didn’t have the capacity to answer 999 ambulance calls. Normally it takes five weeks to train a call handler, then another four weeks of mentoring support. We didn’t have that sort of time.

“From conception – how it might work – to implementation, we built a brand-new call centre over a weekend specifically for handling Covid calls. On the Monday morning, it opened with new staff – second year paramedic students – who had sufficient clinical knowledge to deal with Covid calls.”

Crisis was averted due to the “fantastic effect of lockdown” on the spread of Covid, buying more time.

Garrett also recalls how lateral thinking saw a call to The AA, who released all 177 of its roadside staff in London so that LAS could boost its 50 vehicle technicians to 230 and run LAS workshops 24/7 to keep ambulances on the road.

They also helped to commission new ambulances – previously done at two a week – to add 110 new and secondhand vehicles in just three weeks, by taking over part of West Ham Bus Garage.

41: Lunch with Leon episode 41 - Claire Haigh

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 08:09:41 +0000

It’s great to be back!

Having just returned from ITT Hub 2021 – where it was “so great to get back out there and meet real people and talk about the major issues of the day,” Leon Daniels OBE catches up with Claire Haigh, from the Greener Transport Council.

A champion for greener journeys for a long time, they chat about the ‘terrible price’ that the EV revolution could lead to and the types of change we really need.

Are the government incentives too strong, they wonder, and is it not balanced to stop people to unnecessarily use their cars, and the £40bn tax ‘black hole’ stop being a theoretical threat to public finances.

“It focusses the mind in a way that nothing else could – but it presents a window of opportunity to change,” reckons Claire.

It’s the “best opportunity” to have a proper conversation with the public about taxation and why low-income families shouldn’t subside car users.

40: Lunch with Leon episode 40 - Gareth Rogers

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:46:27 +0000

The world loves to meet…

Gareth Rogers, CEO of Farnborough International – home of the famous biennial international air show – talks about events, exhibiting and why ITT Hub is such a good fit with the Hampshire-based business.

“Humans like to meet, so I sense we will supplement our face-to-face meetings with Zoom and Teams; I don’t see people not travelling,” he says about the post-Covid recovery of business.

People are ‘bursting to get out’ comments Leon, and Gareth strongly agrees.

We also learn why the air show and ITT Hub resonate with each other, which led to Farnborough buying ITT Hub, and the next steps.

“I have a firm belief that we will make a formidable force, creating an event that industry wants to come to – because it’s relevant,” adds Gareth.

39: Lunch with Leon episode 39 - Nigel Harris

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 11:55:21 +0000

The long-awaited Williams-Shapps rail review has been published by the Transport Secretary. While its headlines are a new public body – Great British Railways – providing single national leadership, better integration, simpler fares and smarter ticketing, there’s much detail. To get to grips with the detail, Leon Daniels OBE talks through the plan with leading rail commentator Nigel Harris, editor of RAIL magazine.

38: Lunch with Leon episode 38 - Philip Gerhardt

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 25 May 2021 09:28:10 +0000

A prolific writer of articles and visible on social media, Philip Gerhardt is this week’s dining companion on ‘Lunch with Leon’.

Currently General Manager - Route Performance at Arriva London, Philip is ‘destined for great things’ says Leon Daniels, who charts Philip’s rise through the industry since joining as a trainee 12 years ago.

In a conversation that the “younger generation would do well to hear,” reckons Leon, they chat about the transformation of the transport industry and new technologies – a real passion for Philip.

He explains why the newly-announced National Bus Strategy “opens so many doors” as he talks with passion about transport and its future.

“We have a responsibility to take people in the industry on the journey with us” says Philip as he explains how data “can really change how we look at the world” and deliver even better performance.

Whether demand-responsive travel (DRT) will ever become mainstream is mulled over, while Philip reveals how he spent his spare time in lockdown trying to break travel apps.

“We’re on the cusp of greatness in transport,” he adds as the conversation moves onto the possibilities of dynamic scheduling using real-time data. Will this, they ponder, lead to the possibility of live automated bus rescheduling on hi-frequency services?

Before wrapping up, they offer advice for young people who are thinking of joining the transport industry. What would Philip say to someone who is weighing up, for example, whether to go into retail, computer games, banking or something else?

Describing his experiences, Philip concludes by talking about how to make transport attractive to young people as a career choice.

37: Lunch with Leon episode 37 - Prof. John Miles

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 13 May 2021 15:32:48 +0000

“Make it as clean and simple as possible.” That’s the guiding principles that Prof John Miles Director of Research in Transitional Energy Strategies at the University of Cambridge, reckons we should focus on for transport.

He’s no ‘boffin’ either, but also gets his hands dirty in the real world working with global consultants, Arup, and has first-hand knowledge of many types of transport schemes.

He tells Leon Daniels what’s wrong with Milton Keynes, and talks about the opportunity-charging bus project in the city.

Swiftly scything through all the jargon, he cuts to the chase to set out the pros and cons of all the different energy types used to power vehicles; which ones have the edge and why.

In an informed and objective analysis, he looks at what is possible. Throwing down a challenge to elected mayors looking to solve congestion, he sets out why it’s not an impossible solution.

36: Lunch with Leon episode 36 - Andrew Braddock

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 27 Apr 2021 08:13:52 +0000

The Great Persuader

“It’s about kicking down doors and taking people to see things,” says Andrew Braddock, about how to change the views and perceptions of those in charge, over lunch with Leon Daniels OBE.

Andrew – a public transport pioneer, who had a long and distinguished career with the National Bus Company and then Transport for London - chats with Leon about what we could do to change transport for the better.

He knows all about making change happen as when working in London he was the first pathfinder into the world of accessible buses, something that’s now universal and taken for granted.

Under his watch, the UK’s first buses accessible for people with disabilities were introduced and he knows how hard it can be to change established views.

They talk about the possible ways out of the current pandemic for public transport, and Andrew argues why the general media’s predictions of the amount of working-from-home (WFH) in the future are exaggerated.

Andrew and Leon mull over how to replace the tax revenue from fuel duty, as the UK moves to an electric car future – and that opens up a bigger conversation about the ‘honesty’ that voters need to have about tax.
And, in a wide-ranging conversation they also cover topics as diverse as asparagus, cherries and trolleybuses…

35: Lunch with Leon episode 35 - Anna Whitty MBE

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 07:41:07 +0000

Anna Whitty MBE is the Chief Executive of Ealing Community Transport (ECT), which provides safe, accessible and affordable community transport to people unable to use mainstream transport due to mobility or other difficulties, or because ordinary public transport is unavailable in their area.

Formed in 1979, it now offers its services across not just its West London namesake borough, but also in Cheshire, and Dorset.

Anna tells Leon how community transport serves people who ‘fall between the gaps’ of mainstream provision and are the ‘hidden heroes’.

The independent charity provides a door-to-door service for those who can’t use public transport. Anna explains why door-to-door – rather than ‘kerb-to-kerb’ – is so important.

They chat about ECT’s role in providing accessible transport during the 2012 London Olympics, and how it demonstrated to the world what a good accessible transport network looks like.

They move on to chat about how improvements in customer service and operations have been made, including MiDAS (Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme) and the high standards ECT sets with regards to recruitment and training of drivers.

Anna closes by explaining how her staff pulled together to help community in need during the first Covid lockdown.

34: Lunch with Leon episode 34 - Rav Babbra and Chess Stetson

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 01 Apr 2021 09:28:37 +0000

Doing amazing things for autonomous vehicles…

In a trans-Atlantic lunch – with one guest in California and the other in the UK – Leon Daniels meets with dRISK.

Chatting with CEO Chess Stetson in California and Business Development/Programme Manager Rav Babbra in the UK, they talk about their work with the government-owned Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (C-CAV).

We hear how they have been tasked by the UK government, through the C-CAVS to build the ‘ultimate driving test’ – not for human drivers, but to test self-driving cars.

Their test will determine that autonomous vehicles (AVs) are not simply ‘as safe’ as those driven by humans, but much safer than human drivers.

We learn that the test is being used with current AV technologies, to establish how we can get to a ‘vision zero’ (for accidents) in the UK.

Leon asks why it is acceptable that 1,500 people a year in the UK are killed by human drivers, yet critics say that AVs must have zero accidents?

He discusses why people are not as outranged by existing UK road deaths as they should be, given that 1,500 deaths a year wouldn’t be acceptable in industry or commerce, for example.

Chess opines that the UK’s ‘zero vision’ towards accidents is a “World-leading vision and a much more holistic approach to safety than many other places.”

He explains how the driving test for AVs will be used by the DVLA/DVSA when an AV is to be certified for use in the UK.

Like the UK driving test for humans, the AV version will present a range of scenarios to test the AV.

We learn how, using Transport for London (TfL)’s 1,000 traffic CCTV cameras, dRISK has been capturing ‘edge cases’ - high-risk incidents - and re-creating them in the simulation environment to see what the AV will do.

And, he poses the oft-asked questions: Will an AV stop for a child running out from behind an ice-cream van, or will it kill it? Other questions discussed include telling the difference between a real human and a dummy.

Chess explains why an AV will be able to recognise that a child dressed in a costume as a green traffic light, is recognised as a child crossing the road, not a green traffic light, even though it’s a situation the AV has never come across before.

“AVs predict what’s going to happen, not what has happened – and they can do that now already – for example, how to deal with the guy in the chicken suit at a level crossing,” he says.

The wide-ranging conversation turns to the ‘naked highways’ - ones without physical traffic signs and traffic lights – as the AV ‘talks’ with the infrastructure and receives instructions.

The thorny subject of cyclists and their interaction with AVs is mulled over. Says Chess “Cyclists and human drivers never get on; AVs will be able to negotiate their way around them.”

Then they look at how automation will develop. Will it be a progressive change, or an overnight switch from manually-driven cars to AVs? This leads onto to the increasing automation of existing new vehicles, with systems such as lane keeping and emergency braking already mandatory.

The move to full automation in commercial vehciles is examined, and the reasons for hub-to-hub trunking with trucks being the most likely first-adopters.

The wider applications for automation are explored, with its use to de-risk the entire transport network.

We discover that already dRISK’s software is used to re-route human driven vehicles to reduce risk. What would be the positive effect on fleet managers if by rerouting, they could reduce their accident claims by 10% in a year? How artificial intelligence (AI) uses data to plan routes that are safest at certain times of day, is explained.

Rav discusses how the integration of AI into transport is no pipe dream, and talks about how dRISK re-purposed its ‘object detection’ software for Covid, to take feeds from TfL’s roadside CCTV cameras.

In this new guise, AI counted people and vehicles, to see the effects of lockdown and monitor social distancing. The results are fed back to councils which can establish if the measures it put in place, for example barriers for pavement widening or space for tables and cafes, are working or not. It can also identify hotspots, for example at pedestrian crossings, where reducing the wait time reduces pedestrian congestion.

The conversation concludes with Rav talking about two surveys that are currently open about fleet managers’ opinions on the risks of vehicle routing, and the public’s opinion on AVs.

The Risk Survey - https://www.research.net/r/driskedgecasesurvey

The Public Opinion About AVs Survey https://www.dgcities.com/drisk

D-RISK project website - https://drisk-project.org/

dRISK.ai company website - https://drisk.ai/

33: Lunch with Leon episode 33 - SPECIAL - Thomas Ableman

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 08:30:37 +0000

Everyone’s take on the National Bus Strategy is different, but who better to comment on it than Thomas Ableman.

With a career in bus, rail and now the founder and CEO of Snap Travel Technology – a virtual coach company which has run 25m passenger miles without any coaches or drivers – he sees all sides of the issues, especially on ticketing integration and local politics.

He also runs the The Freewheeling Podcas‪t‬ which aims to be a platform for fresh voices and unconventional thinkers. Over lunch with Leon Daniels OBE he discusses the 21,000 words bus strategy – and importantly what’s not in in – plus, why bus company share prices didn’t move after its publication and why there was not a collective ‘gnashing of teeth’.

Thomas looks at the implications of the marriage of the words ‘discretionary’ and ‘funding’ in the document and explores whether the promised £3bn is vulnerable to future cuts. The strategy sets out the direction of travel – which is great news for those already in partnership – but, says

Thomas, in areas such as Luton that could be very different, and he explains why. “There’s lots of talking to be done by people who haven’t talked for many years,” he adds. Leon and Thomas mull over what could happen in local authority areas where the balance of power drifts between two parties – with just one or two councillors’ seats making the difference – and why a planned bus lane could change the balance of power.

Moving onto the affects for areas where there is no strong political leadership, Thomas adds that the Government has ‘weaponised’ dishonesty as a tool of leadership. He also reckons that there are dangers for the transport industry in thinking it’s “on the side of angels.” They also chew over the big missing item from all the Government’s slew of recent transport announcements: How do we replace the £3.8bn of fuel duty, as we move to net zero? Pondering the likelihood of road pricing and the possible options, Thomas sets out why it needs to be started now and “can’t be a policy in five years’ time.”

Other aspects that touch on buses, but have been ignored by the strategy are debated, including how to deal with the “inter-departmental chasm” that sees major schemes, such as planning for hospitals, schools and business parks, “failing the bus industry.” Thomas explains why a statutory duty to consult about bus services as part of the planning process should be a statutory duty, in the same way as it is already for cycling. “It would be an easy win as a lot of the improvements, especially before making the planning application, are zero cost.”

He concludes by talking about why bus fares pricing should follow coffee shops and fast-food places, leveraging contactless and enabling incremental price changes, so that the bus industry gets to the same place as TfL is, where people don’t complain – or even notice – about the detail of TfL fares.

32: Lunch with Leon episode 32 - SPECIAL - Sara Sloman

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 07:36:38 +0000

The many questions about how we reach net-zero

In a special edition, Leon Daniels swaps notes with Sara Sloman, who hosts sister-ITT Hub podcast Talking Net Zero.

In a wide-ranging, engaging and lively chat we discover Sara’s ‘all-time gripe’ about ‘all-things-green and sustainable’, but they start by talking about a bottle of wine, before moving onto the controversial residents’ parking scheme in Bristol.

Designed to encourage people out of their cars, rather than driving to within a mile of the city centre and then parking on residential streets the scheme’s introduction was the source of much angst.

This question gives rise to the topic of forcing people to change their travel behaviour.

It seems that whatever you do in transport, it’s often just ‘shunting the problem’, reckons Sara: “It’s coastal erosion with cars!”

Local politics come into play and the challenge that metro-mayors face of four-year terms – and having to rely on a second term, and being at the mercy of shifts of change in public opinion – means that four years is not long enough to do anything in the transport sector, we discover.

Leon recalls advice he gave to London Mayor Boris Johnson, and asks if mayors are ready to make really tough decisions within the first few weeks of taking office.

This leads to a discussion about the ‘short term of everything’, the need for consistency and why ‘engineers are biting their nails’ when announcements are made.

Are we too hung up on on-street charging and is the on-street charging issue overblown, Leon asks Sara, before they chat about micro-mobility and why people on eScooters are happy. “You never see a jogger smiling,” observes Leon, while Sara explains the importance of how travel makes you feel. “Does it put a smile on your face?”

She explains the enjoyment of a journey, how underrated bus travel is for the ‘pleasure of the journey’ and why sustainable travel ‘gives you your life back’.

Is the solution for certain occasional travel car clubs? Sara and Leon swap tales about their car club experiences which include an egg, rubber gloves and an underground car park….

31: Lunch with Leon episode 31 - Roger Davies

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 14:17:34 +0000

With a starter about rail, main course about commuter travel and dessert on the bus industry, this week’s Lunch with Leon sees him talking with career busman, author and controversial straight-talking commentator Roger Davies.

Roger sets out why transport needs ‘clean fixes now – not projects that give proclaimed benefits in the 2030s and beyond’.

He argues: “We should be concentrating on what needs to be done now, rather than grandiose schemes that deliver way into the future, if at all.”

They also debate whether home-working will lead to more off-shoring of jobs and why he believes airlines will recover quicker than rail after Covid.

The impact on buses of what he calls the ‘higher education industry’ - due to universities being big local economic players and major buildings owners – should not be underestimated, he says.

Roger and Leon conclude by talking about the benefits of home working to local economies and why the industry has big opportunities for the integration of buses and logistics.

30: Lunch with Leon episode 30 - Laura Shoaf

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 06:34:09 +0000

“Public transport is social justice. There’s never a better time to remind us nationally why we’re doing what we’re doing,” says Laura Shoaf, MD of Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) and newly-appointed Chair of the Urban Transport Group.

A planner by background, Laura has extraordinary energy and is a huge force for good for public transport internationally, as well as in the UK.

Talking with Leon Daniels over lunch she explores what the future holds: “Every crisis has an opportunity. How we come out of this with a functioning integrated transport network that’s still affordable and reliable, is challenging in a way it’s never been challenged before.”

“We cannot afford to have a car-based recovery. We must have a green recovery,” and she sends a clear set of messages to the government.

“As an industry, we need to lobby government, saying ‘you need to make sure that in ‘building back better’ our networks are fully functioning and supported.”

They chat about what the Government’s forthcoming bus strategy might hold. Laura says she’s hoping for devolution of Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) as “we can get better outcomes, the more funding and powers that are devolved to us.”

29: Lunch with Leon episode 29 - Sue Percy

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 08:38:31 +0000

Highways for all: From careers to automated vehicles.

Sue Percy, CEO of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) for past nine years, has long been Leon Daniels’ ‘go to’ person for a “sensible view on the whole highways and transportation business” and she’s also a key person for driving forward education and qualifications in this sector. Adds Leon: “She never lets me forget that our highways and transportation industry is about people.”

Over lunch they chat about their shared ambitions to get good people into our industry and she demonstrates her optimistic view about the future.

Sue talks with passion about the need to invest in people and their qualifications, to ensure that we can deliver for society – “it’s not just building a road or railway,” she says.

“The language about how we talk to young people is important – it’s about things that matter to them,” she explains.

“They’re not going to want to talk about laying the surface of a motorway, they want to talk about things that really excite them like the environment and digital, for example. And all those things, highways and transportation deliver on.”

Expanding further, she sets out a strategy: “We’ve got some fantastic role models in our sector and we need to profile them.

“We need to stop being timid with our voice and much more vocal in this wonderful sector about the careers you can have.”

She adds that it’s about “how we talk and portray ourselves” and says that the sector needs to “make it clear that this is profession that you can access at any stage in your career, regardless of educational attainment. It’s about access for all.”

As lunch draws to a close they talk about autonomous vehicles and debate at what pace their introduction should take place.

28: Lunch with Leon episode 28 - Steve Gooding

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 13:39:56 +0000

The big questions about transport use and where to go from here.

This week, Leon Daniels OBE has lunch with Steve Gooding, formerly Director General at the Department for Transport and now Director of the RAC Foundation, where he is a noted spokesman on roads and transport policy.

This year he becomes President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and talks about how it is working to develop professionalism in the sector.

“There’s never been a time when the expertise and professionalism of CILT members has been more in need,” he says, as the country “looks beyond Covid to the government agenda of ‘building back better’ and ‘levelling up’ across the UK.”

They chat about whether freight and logistics will become classed by the government as ‘critical infrastructure’ in the same way as energy and telecoms already are.

“There’s a tendency to think that infrastructure is static, but it’s not,” Steve tells Leon. “It gives the ability to move around. Rail and road – both classed as national critical infrastructure – are no good if trains and trucks can’t run on them.”

They mull over the return of commuter and passenger demand. Steve asks: “Will we see cities developing or cities returning?”

He then turns to opportunities for investment – and where it should go – before touching on what he sees as an inevitable recasting of local authority subsidised bus services.

As a trustee of the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, Steve explains what it is and what it is doing to raise its profile. He chats about the Fund’s work, especially with younger people, in careers and innovation.

He concludes by talking about autonomous vehicles and they enter the debate about whether they should ever be allowed on the UK’s roads. On this subject, Steve has strong views…

27: Lunch with Leon episode 27 - Paul Seller

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 15 Jan 2021 09:03:28 +0000

Ricardo has a long history of developing diesel drivelines, stemming from its key involvement in the First World War to reduce exhaust emissions (yes, really) that eventually earned founder Harry Ricardo a knighthood.

Today, the British company has a global presence across a range of market sectors – including cars, commercial vehicles, rail, defence, motorsport, energy and environment – with a client list that includes transport operators, manufacturers, energy companies, financial institutions and government agencies.

As a global strategic engineering and environmental consultancy that specialises in the transport, energy and scarce resources sectors, it’s able to look objectively at the progress to new energy for transport as Paul Seller Ricardo Rail MD explains.

Over lunch with Leon Daniels OBE they chat about de-carbonisation not just in Europe, but worldwide and how this can be achieved.

There’s ‘life in the old dog yet’ reckons Paul as they talk about the internal combustion engine (ICE) and he explains why it shouldn’t be written off just yet, as different fuel sources become available.

They chew over the progress to new energy for transport, such as electrification, hydrogen, ammonia and methane, which Paul describes as ‘extremely exciting’. Also, he reckons that it’s ‘not a forgone conclusion’ that hydrogen’s transport role will solely be using fuel cells.

“We have a long way to go to settle on what the transport fuel of the future will be,” he adds as he looks to future of urban transport, what drives it and why it varies around the world.

He also talks about the impact of Brexit on emissions and transport standards.

26: Lunch with Leon episode 26 - Gali Bloch Liran

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 08:42:50 +0000

Challenging the ‘old way’ to get the most out of yourself and your team.

Over a long lunch, Leon Daniels OBE chats with Gali Bloch Liran who is an executive coach specialising in start-ups, as well as being a lawyer, marketeer, lecturer and global speaker.

She works with CEOs, founders and entrepreneurs to manage the day-to-day challenges and strengthen the mental resilience required to scale such a venture, using her own super-powers: energy, positivity and inner strong-belief.

We learn how success is achieved by lots of ‘small wins’, the challenges of taking a small start-up into something bigger and how to use your personal skills to overcome the inevitable problems.

The art of communication with staff is chewed over, alongside tips about how to get your messages across, as this this energic, fun and inspiring coach delves into what many people consider a ‘dark art’, yet is surprisingly easy to master.

You can contact Gali at www.galiblochliran.com

25: Lunch with Leon episode 25 - Christmas special

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 09:29:42 +0000

All the enjoyable bits, plus some garnish…

Our regular podcast about all things transport-related has a different twist this week with a Christmas and New Year special. If you’ve not listened before, then give this one a try!

Over the past 24 episodes, Leon Daniels has chatted with an amazing range of people and he’s filleted just a small handful of the very best, and funniest, bits.

He also reports live from the recent GITEX technology exhibition in Dubai, UAE, which proves that it’s possible to run large events in a totally safe manner.

From the ‘the ancient art of exchanging business cards in real life’ to exciting technical developments, it’s a whistle-stop tour at the cutting-edge.

And, as the podcast closes, we hear the first-ever performance by The Binswood Players, who’ve dropped into a board meeting, somewhere in Britain, where they ask ‘What Has ITT Hub Ever Done For Us?’

24: Lunch with Leon episode 24 - Elizabeth de Jong

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Sun, 13 Dec 2020 16:03:22 +0000

Leon Daniels’ lunchtime guest is Elizabeth de Jong from Logistics UK. Their starter sees them mull over working-from-home and its benefits, before they move onto the main course where they chat about the changes in logistics and deliveries this year.

They debate why the government should regard freight and logistics as part of the country’s critical infrastructure and how to get more talent into the industry. Elizabeth maps out what to do and why it’s backed by a strong business case.

Alternatives to diesel HGVs, how to make a pathway for their phase out and the pressure to speed-up transport decarbonisation is chewed over.

During dessert they delve into Brexit and - with only days to go before ‘B-Day’ - discuss how ready logistics is.

An economist by background, Elizabeth has a strong track record of leading successful policy teams. She has over 20 years of experience at a senior level in the transport sector which includes consultancy, business analysis, programme management, policy development and policy delivery.

She joined Logistics UK in July 2017 from Rail Delivery Group where she was Director of Policy, and prior to that worked at the Department for Transport.

At Logistics UK she is responsible for UK, Regional, EU and International Policy, Public Affairs, Research & Information and the Member Advice Centre.

23: Lunch with Leon episode 23 - Graeme Cooper

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 10:21:09 +0000

Tools in the toolbox – how many do we need?

Graeme Cooper is Project Director / Transport Decarbonisation at National Grid and, fresh from his appearance on Top Gear, he chats with Leon Daniels about how, in the last week, all the decarbonisation jigsaw bits are finally coming together.
Graeme talks with an easy engaging energy and passion, presenting serious thought leadership in an easy-to-digest form and explains his mantra “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
He unpicks the government’s recent announcements and its 10-point decarbonisation plan. Crucially, he tackles the oft-asked ‘big question’: Do we have enough grid capacity for clean transport?
What if the entire country went to electric cars tomorrow – would the lights go out?
Graeme sets out the how the government’s £950m to future-proof the grid will be spent and where he sits in the hydrogen v electric debate.
He explains why, in heading towards 2050 net zero, “transport is the easiest to fix” and how almost limitless capacity for electric bus garages and is available right now.

22: Lunch with Leon episode 22 - James Haluch

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 08:55:00 +0000

Stripping off on the roads? The Naked Highway. If you’ve not come across the expression, then the Naked Highway is not what you might think...
Chatting over lunch with Leon Daniels OBE is James Haluch Managing Director – Highways and Waste Collections, at Amey and they get to grips with what our roads should look like in the future – and the Naked Highway is part of this.
They start by talking about what the Highways Sector Council, launched in 2019, is currently doing.
Together, they unpick some of the big issues that are being tackled and how working with the government meant that the highways sector was able to take rapid advantage of COVID-19 to do works that otherwise weren’t possible in normal times.
James and Leon chat with a passion about changing safety culture; when you know you’ve ‘cracked it’ (with anecdotes) and how good safety saves money.
This neatly takes the conversation around to one of the biggest issues of recent times – the closure of London’s Hammersmith Flyover due to structural defects – and how it enabled “progress to be made in very unusual ways” for the careers and knowledge of young engineers.
James chats about some of the pioneering work he’s involved in to encourage young people into engineering and how a scheme projected to ‘graduate’ 15,000 people ended up with 125,000 awards issued.
Swapping more anecdotes, they talk about dining in Belmarsh Prison and why the CEO of Thames Water was woken by a phone call at 0600 on a Sunday.

21: Lunch with Leon episode 21 - Steve Norris

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 17 Nov 2020 09:11:04 +0000

With a long and illustrious career in business and transport, Steve Norris is best-known as Minister for Transport in London (1992-7) “the toughest job I ever did.”

No-nonsense and straight-talking, he ran for Mayor of London in 2000 and 2004, but lost on both occasions to Ken Livingstone who, he tells Leon Daniels, was “the best Mayor by a country mile.”
There are terrific anecdotes about London Buses, leading into the real reasons we don’t have conductors anymore and the incentives required to offer a good service.

Turning to the recent Transport for London (TfL) financial rescue package from the government, he skilfully dissects the politics and personalities involved.

We also find out what he really thinks of Boris Johnson (who he says is a ‘sofa’) and what Steve Norris would do if he was Prime Minister…

20: Lunch with Leon episode 20 - Guillaume Fleuti

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 14:28:35 +0000

As we navigate through uncharted territory, Leon Daniels catches up with Guillaume Fleuti - MD and Head, Infrastructure, Transport and Manufacturing and Europe at Lloyds Bank – to chat about everything from the move to zero emission stimulus, “good for business and good for the UK,” to the key role that banks are bringing to the economy at the moment.

They mull over whether the ‘bundling together’ of finance for charging infrastructure, energy and vehicles, will be a model for the future.

Guillaume talks through why banks prefer to fund certain areas of business than others, and how engagement with government bodies has changed in the last two years.

The conversation moves to government support for big infrastructure projects, such as road and rail, and how that might look in the future.

They also swap notes on how transport use might change and different people’s perceptions of a ‘long commute’.

And, Leon asks the hot question: ‘What are the consequences of a no-deal Brexit…

19: Lunch with Leon episode 19 - Emma Hignett

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 08:55:54 +0000

She’s the busiest person on the transport network, giving information to 6.5m people every day; but it’s her voice, rather than her face that is best known.

The ‘voice’ of London Buses, Emma Hignett, chats with Leon Daniels over lunch about her work as a voice-over and how the Lancastrian’s voice is upmarket but utterly approachable.

She talks about how she changed career from being a ballet dancer and the ‘rigorous’ selection process that Transport for London used in its quest for delivering a consistently high standard of visual and aural passenger information.

And, Leon discovers what her ‘real’ voice is and how she deals with hearing her own voice as she travels around London.

They chat about everything from accents to the research and science of passenger announcements, to the day she spent talking to public face-to-face and the most memorable personal recordings she made for people.

They also chat about what the future holds for young people who are considering the world of work, alongside the art of communications and conclude with a very sound piece of indispensable advice.

18: Lunch with Leon episode 18 - Greg Harris

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 07:48:32 +0000

Greg Harris is right at front end of the latest developments on the road to net-zero.

As Global Electrification Services Leader at HORIBA MIRA, his role includes developing strategy around electrification.

Best known as the UK industry’s first vehicle test track - called the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) opened in 1949 on a former airfield in Leicestershire - Greg chats over lunch with Leon Daniels about its development into a private company, now owned by HORIBA, and how today it is much more than test track, with 46 different test facilities on the site.

They chat about HORIBA MIRA’s role in engineering consultancy – across the whole of automotive engineering – and the potential for re-engineering commercial vehicles as we move to net-zero.

They discuss whether we’ve reached the ‘tipping point’ for electric vehicles to become commercial propositions, before moving onto subsidies, trade tariffs and how the government could replace the £28bn it raises each year from fuel duty.

They also chew over what tactics the government could use to boost the take-up of zero-emission vehicles.

Thanks to his role, Greg is part of the wider engineering ‘family’ that links up around the world, and the conversation moves on to the hydrogen fuel cell v. battery-electric debate, reminiscent of the Betamax v VHS ‘battle’ of the 1980s.

They also chat about job opportunities for young people in engineering as a result of the push to develop technology in the UK, and HORIBA MIRA’s links with education.

17: Lunch with Leon episode 17 - Matt Ginsberg

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 12:16:00 +0000

Matt Ginsberg, author, teacher and entrepreneur once tried to sell to London intelligent traffic lights to speed up the traffic.

At Transport for London, MD Leon Daniels surprised him by declining since that was the opposite of what was wanted.

A specialist in AI (artificial intelligence) since 1983, Matt chats with Leon about why we travel too much, but why some things will have to remain face-to-face.

Over a long lunch they cover a massive range of topics, from body language on Zoom to protecting personal data, the good things that are happening and why autonomous cars will not happen, but drones will…

16: Lunch with Leon episode 16 - Lucy Yu

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 09:10:57 +0000

Lucy Yu is the Director of Public Policy at Voi Scooters. With eScooters increasingly popular around the world, Leon Daniels chats about the Swedish company’s trials in the UK, one of 11 European countries it serves.

They chew over the apparent lack of regulation and Leon discovers that while illegal on UK roads, a trial with the DfT means that a number of UK cities - but not, so far, London - are seeing the eScooters on the streets.

With on-street rental, using an app with an unlock fee and use fee per minute, day and monthly passes are also available.

And, we hear how technology - through the use of geofences - will stop people leaving eScooters in inappropriate places, and encourage them to leave them in designated parking zones.

Find out why knowing your ‘football foot’ is helpful, and hear as Leon describes his first journey on an eScooter, and the look on his colleagues’ faces during his attempt…

15: Lunch with Leon episode 15 - SPECIAL - Live at the ITT Hub Open Day in Warwick

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 30 Sep 2020 14:24:37 +0000

This special episode comes from the recent ITT Hub Open Day at Warwick University where 30 partners, current and prospective exhibitors discovered how to plan, design and run a Covid secure exhibition stand.

Leon talks to some of the key stakeholders at the event, the ITT Hub team, as well as Charlie Cox from Natural Green CS, the event partner.

14: Lunch with Leon episode 14 - Bhavish Aggarwal

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:00:00 +0000

After a bad taxi experience in 2011, Bhavish Aggarwal resolved to do something better. The result was to co-found Ola Cabs in India.

In 2015, along with co-founder Ankit Bhati, they were the youngest to be included in that year's list of richest Indians.

Since then, Ola Cabs has expanded to Australia, New Zealand and now London.

Last year the company was valued at £6.5bn and at 35-years-old Bhavish is one of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs.

In conversation over Lunch with Leon Daniels he opines that the pandemic will not alter travel in the long term, although the modes will change: “The human need to travel is very deep in us; it’s not going away,” he says.

“The pandemic will force an acceleration in innovation in mobility,” says Bhavish. “We cannot envisage what it will be like in 10 or 20 years’ time,” before going on to discuss some of the potential.

“There is so much stuff that’s happened in the last 10 years, that hadn’t happened in the previous 50 years. I’m very excited and enthused about the next 10 years.”

He also talks about what sets Ola Cabs apart from its competitors and how one platform (the app) does everything, from buses to taxis, to home delivery.

The next development is Ola Cabs’ own design of electric two-wheelers that are now being launched across the world, and he expands on how software and hardware are being brought together into one solution

There are also messages for young people who are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, and he tells us why “now is the best time to start a business.”

13: Lunch with Leon episode 13 - Jane Reakes Davies

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 10:26:07 +0000

Running buses is a people business, so the appointment of HR specialist Jane Reakes Davies as MD First Cymru, shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Yet it’s still often the case that the traditional career route to becoming a bus MD, tends to be through engineering or operations.

Over lunch with Leon Daniels, she chats about the different perspectives of the role of a bus MD, and what it really means, along with her career transition into the MD role

First Cymru’s HQ is in the university city of Swansea and the 2009 introduction of the ‘ftr’ project saw a great deal of (largely since removed) bus priority.

Jane talks about relationships with local authorities and the business’ ‘social conscience' - providing a service to customers with a commercial head, as the conversation turns to what role buses really play - retail, utility or ‘other’.

With a varied network - serving a city and deeply rural areas with two distinct customer groups - how to serve them, meet their aspirations and expectations, are chewed over.

Jane has enlightening views on the expectations of its teenage customers of what they want from an operator - and the answer isn’t what you might expect - and she expands of why now, is a really exciting time to be in the industry.

She also reveals who her ‘business hero’ is. At first blush it’s an unlikely choice, not only due to the industry they are in, but also as a person widely perceived as a ‘Marmite’ character.

This leads to a fascinating conclusion to lunch, with a revealing opinion about ways of engaging people and bringing in leadership skills from a very different sector.

12: Lunch with Leon episode 12 - John Clarfelt

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Sat, 05 Sep 2020 13:15:51 +0000

Barrister, butcher and now busman: John Clarfelt has revolutionised on-bus payments with his start-up Ticketer which now has 25,000 on-bus electronic ticket machines (ETMs) in the UK.

Having qualified as a barrister and also been a butcher, Ticketer is his third venture.

Over Lunch with Leon Daniels, he chats about how cashless payments have changed society and what the possibility is for charging passengers after a journey is made, to get them the very best fare.

They talk about the relationship of trust between operators and passengers and what more can be done by using data.

“The UK is very far advanced in terms of ETMs,” he says adding that public transport should be “enjoyable to travel on and efficient to operate.”

They mull over the possibilities for variable pricing on public transport according to demand, how to take fares without intervention (i.e. the passenger simply walks on and off , never touching in or out or buying a ticket) using facial recognition and how data about passenger loadings could improve vehicle utilisation.

Given how much Ticketer has changed the face of transport ticketing already, and the enthusiasm of enlightened operators, their discussions about the future might become reality sooner than we think…

11: Lunch with Leon episode 11 - Aviv Frenkel

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:04:42 +0000

“Data is the new oil,” says EnRoute founder Aviv Frenkel.

‘Shop with us and ride for free’ is the new calling card for retailers thanks to an entirely new transport system developed by EnRoute.

Over lunch, Leon Daniels chats with EnRoute founder Aviv Frenkel about the genuinely exciting development in transport, where public transport agencies and companies come together to provide free travel to their customers. When passengers make their on-line retail purchases across a wide range of goods using the operator’s app, the retailers pay for the ride.

Already in operation in Germany in a partnership with DB, EnRoute’s technology is now about to launch in Singapore and Madrid.

In explaining where the idea came from, Aviv - a former technology presenter on TV, who gave up his job to start EnRoute - gives advice for young people wanting to get into a start-up, which is especially relevant as transport continues to move from being an engineering business to a technology business.

And, Aviv warns transport companies that COVID-19 has accelerated the change in transport habits not by five, but 10 years.

“Ridership and revenues are down, so transport companies need to diversify their business model - and this helps start-ups,” says Aviv.

He also talks about financing start-ups and where the investment comes from. “We are at the confluence of mobility, e-commerce and FinTech (financial technology),” he adds.

As the discussion moves to the use of anonymised data by London Underground to improve its service, Leon lifts the lid on what really happened when London’s buses stopped taking cash payments, and the complaints it received. The details will surprise you….

10: Lunch with Leon episode 10 - Howard Collins OBE

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 13:15:20 +0000

Young people: Don’t worry about the recession, as there are career opportunities right now in transport for engineering and other high-skill roles such as operations.

That’s the upbeat message from Howard Collins OBE, who says that as other sectors shrink, transport offers good opportunities for young people aspiring for a skilled career.

Chatting over Lunch with Leon Daniels, he argues that the transport sector has traditionally been seen by young people as “not exciting” and struggled to recruit as a result of this perception.

He says that we should do much more to wave the flag and highlight the range of jobs available, beyond the stereotypical roles.

The former London Underground Chief Operating Officer at Transport for London, Howard Collins now holds the same post at Transport for New South Wales (TNSW), but in a wider role covering the whole of the Greater Sydney region, responsible for rail, bus, roads, maritime, metro and light rail.

Despite the recent setback of the ‘second resurgence’ of COVID-19 in Australia, TNSW is one of the few large organisations that is busier than ever, as social distancing sees it running more services than it did pre-COVID.

Backed by a highly-intensive vehicle and fixed-infrastructure cleaning regime, he draws lessons from his time in London and other world events to predict what 2025 will look like.

“We’re flat out with an A$80bn (£43bn) programme over the next four years,” he tells Leon Daniels about the TNSW investment in new projects, as they discuss whether the ‘infinite suppressed demand’ that London and other major cities experience will return.

9: Lunch with Leon episode 9 - Dave Joshua

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 14 Aug 2020 14:03:23 +0000

Dave Joshua is the man who is going to ‘revolutionise the bus industry’. That’s quite a claim for this native of Gloucestershire who is now General Manager for Optibus in the UK and Europe.

With a background in data and software, he’s also a ‘newbie’ in the bus industry and brings with him clarity of thought that comes from standing outside of the wood, while the rest of us are in with the trees.

Chatting over lunch with Leon Daniels, he talks about the huge opportunity in front of us - but adds that a “level of bravery is required.”

“One the greatest things the bus industry needs to realise is the impact it can bring to the individual. But to make that change, it has to change itself.” Dave Joshua says.

He argues that we need to alter the perception of the industry to treat it like a utility, not a ‘nice to have’.

“We need to change the bus industry so the next generation coming through, use it like brushing your teeth - they do it without thinking about it.”

At the moment, you need to know so much about transport before you use it, “a bit like an entrance exam,” observes Leon Daniels.

When we turn on a tap, water comes out. We don’t need to know who supplied it, what process it went through and what source it comes from.

So is it possible that transport can become as intuitive? You hold your hand out and it’s just there.

Well, that’s what optimisation and big data is about is about.

If you thought that this is all about straightforward bus scheduling, you’d be wrong. That’s like comparing a Sinclair ZX Spectrum with today’s latest laptops…

8: Lunch with Leon episode 8 - Anna Delvecchio

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 07 Aug 2020 13:54:55 +0000

“A force to be reckoned with,” is how Leon Daniels introduces Anna Delvecchio in his ‘Lunch with Leon’ podcast.

One of the most influential women in transport, she joined the industry as an apprentice and after a rising through a varied range of posts is now Development Director of Transportation at Mott MacDonald.

She talks about why the industry needs to change the perception of transport among youngsters, to encourage the talent of tomorrow.

“We rise by lifting others,” she says, as she explains the importance of mentoring and professional-development support networks, alongside recognising rising stars.

That ethos also flows through to Highways Sector Council, launched during lockdown, of which she is a member.

“We are stronger together than separately,” she says about the public-private partnership that is sponsored by the Department for Transport.

And here too, the old ways of working are being challenged. She explains how the council created a plan, presented to the DfT, to take advantage of lockdown by bringing forward major road repairs and improvements while traffic was at its lowest levels since the 1940s.

With a passion for transport she sets out how the industry can encourage young people to join the UK’s most dynamic and exciting sector with its vast range of opportunities and career paths.

She says that we need a new showcase for transport that changes the perception of ‘who does what’ among young people, to show them that transport roles are much wider than the stereotypical one of driving.

7: Lunch with Leon episode 7 - Joe Ma

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 16:03:36 +0000

With 23m people in city that is a modern metropolis whose location links Hong Kong to China’s mainland, Shenzhen is now well into its post-COVID-19 recovery phase.

So, what’s life like post-lockdown and what lessons can we learn?
To find out Leon Daniels speaks with Joe Ma, Deputy General Manager of Shenzhen Bus Group and also Chair of UITP’s Taxi and Ride-hailing Committee.

They discuss the economic bounce-back, how ridership levels have returned and what the ‘new normal’ looks like.

Joe explains how the bus operator is winning back passengers using a range of new initiatives - including demand-responsive 50-seater coach express services from housing areas to the city centre.

They also talk about battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses. Joe describes Shenzhen as the “lab mice of electric buses” having taken its first 100 e-buses in 2010, with the entire fleet becoming electric in 2017.

6: Lunch with Leon episode 6 - Jo Bamford

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 24 Jul 2020 11:29:42 +0000

We need to think differently: That’s the challenge that Jo Bamford throws down to operators in a chat over lunch with Leon Daniels.
Part of JCB’s global vehicle business and son of Lord Bamford, Jo is a passionate advocate for hydrogen, aiming to bring hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles to the world on a large scale .
Having set up Ryse Hydrogen in 2017 to produce and supply hydrogen, last year Jo hit the headlines when he bought Wrightbus. As a result it now offers turnkey solutions for both hydrogen and battery buses.
In a wide-range discussion they chew over how the capital and operational costs of hydrogen vehicles can be reduced to the same as diesel.
They also discuss breaking the chicken-and-egg scenario of hydrogen production and infrastructure.
In a radical approach, Jo challenges bus operators to think like airlines when procuring zero-emission vehicles, arguing that a totally different approach is needed. And, he says, if operators are prepared to be “more daring”, they could pay much lower vehicle prices. Listen now to find out how this would happen.

5: Lunch with Leon episode 5 - Matt Eisenegger

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 23 Jul 2020 09:33:02 +0000

ITT Hub’s ‘Lunch with Leon’, hosted by Leon Daniels OBE, takes a new twist as he talks with Matt Eisenegger, MD of Commercial Vehicle Media & Publishing, that publishes a suite of truck and logistics magazines.
Ahead of the launch of Matt’s own ITT Hub podcast next week - called CV Focus - they discuss the sudden changes brought to freight and logistics.
He also reveals who his first guest on CV Focus will be.

Matt joined the industry from school in the 1980s as a technician for Wallace Arnold’s Bedford truck workshop, before spending a decade in truck sales for AWD and Renault and then moving into commercial and marketing.
Over lunch, Leon and Matt chew over the positive legacy of the London 2012 Olympics, and it ultimately delivered a range of road safety improvements that continues today.

They also explore whether hydrogen is the future for long-distance trucking, the opportunities and what lessons we can draw for ‘platooning’ and autonomous vehicles.

4: SPECIAL: Honk for Hope. Lunch with Leon episode 4 - Steve Whiteway & Ian Jones

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Tue, 21 Jul 2020 13:28:53 +0000

This Lunch with Leon special features Steve Whiteway, President of the Confederation of Passenger Transport and Ian Jones, industry legal advisor as they returned from Honk for Hope in central London, the third rally in the UK to draw attention to issues in the coach industry, a diverse sector with a ‘lost cause’.

With 42K people in the UK employed directly by coach operators, contributing £6 billion to the economy, the coach industry wants to bring the importance of their contribution to the attention of Parliament.

Many coach companies are family businesses who face an 18 month ‘winter’ due to the seasonal nature of their operation.

Honk for Hope is calling for the furlough scheme and financial agreements to be extended for this sector until March 2021 and for a statutory instrument to prevent finance companies enforcing commercial debt against personal assets.

3: Lunch with Leon episode 3 - Isbrand Ho & Frank Thorpe

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 13:14:59 +0000

Featuring Isbrand Ho, Senior Director of BYD Company and Managing Director BYD Europe, along with Frank Thorpe, Managing Director BYD UK. Speaking from the Netherlands, Isbrand talks about the opportunities which will emerge following the current crisis.

· How does public transport emerge cleaner and better without leaving anyone behind?

· Will volumes of bus orders come back, despite current numbers being “eye-wateringly low”? Frank shares thoughts on the need to combat the car and improve air quality

· The quality and cost of the latest buses are often better equipped than the private car

· How is BYD adapting its solutions in battery technology?

· Poor air quality kills. How will the world emerge into a safer, better place? What are the predictions for 2025 and beyond?

· How will last mile delivery and battery technology be even more important?

· How manufacturers and operators must work even closer together to make the bus even better

2: Lunch with Leon episode 2 - Prof. David Begg

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0000

In the second edition of Lunch with Leon, Leon Daniels OBE hosts Professor David Begg – author, academic, advisor to secretaries of state, conference entrepreneur and self-confessed “general no good troublemaker”.

Leon and Professor Begg discuss how far and how deeply the legacy of where we are now will track into the future. With five years of change compressed into the six-month period of the pandemic, what will be the effects of WFH, online shopping, reduced business travel and even a four-day week? Public transport is being used for essential travel only but there is continued demand for low cost summer holidays by air. Is this the death of business travel and national airlines? How will the current clean air of our cities fast forward our thinking in their future planning? Is the case for franchising bus travel outside London weaker or stronger now? How will it all pan out on a human level? Human beings or human doings?

1: Lunch with Leon episode 1 - Paul Sainthouse

Leon Daniels & Associates Ltd — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 08:00:00 +0000

Leon and Paul discuss the state of the industry and how the past and present will inform our future. The podcast includes discussion on public transport and the effect of changes in habits, clean air and how to maintain the momentum post coronavirus, support needed for the bus and coach market, how to attract a younger, more inclusive workforce, government-backed guarantees on investment, plus electric vs hydrogen – either or both?