Sector Focus


Business Travel Sector Focus The latest news from the sectors that matter to business Mayor praises


electric buses National Express has been praised by West Midlands mayor Andy Street for bringing the region one step closer to having an all-electric bus fleet. The company has recently begun


introducing all-electric buses to the region – and had pledged never to buy another diesel bus in the UK. The West Midlands Combined


Authority (WMCA) has set a target of 2041 for the West Midlands to be carbon neutral. Mr Street said: “As Mayor of the


West Midlands I’m working to ensure our energy is focused on bringing about a green energy future for the region. “Our plan for the region is an


environmentally friendly one. “That’s not just because clean


energy helps secure the future of our planet, it’s also because our plan will help secure high-skilled ‘green’ jobs of the future. That’s why we set our ambitious #WM2041 target – and it’s why these electric buses are an important step on our journey to reach it.” To make the change to electric


National Express’ 80-year-old Yardley Wood garage has been retrofitted with a shed-sized battery, a charging station for each bus and a system so engineers can monitor the buses’ performance from screens up in the depot or on their laptops. The buses charge up in four


hours and can run for around120 miles before needing another charge. Tom Stables, managing director


of National Express UK, said: “At National Express, zero-emission is not the future - it’s the here-and- now.”


Aviation sector must be helped


The Chamber has urged the Government to speed up actions on getting the aviation sector back on its feet, and at the same time provide a lifeline for vital international trade. Aviation is one of the sectors


worst hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, which seems set to drag on for months yet. The Chamber made its plea for


help for the sector in the wake of an announcement by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to establish a global taskforce to enable the safe return of international travel The Global Travel Taskforce,


headed up by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, will consider what steps the Government can take domestically and internationally to enable the safe and sustainable recovery of travel. Mr Shapps said the taskforce will


‘work at pace’ to consider: - How a testing regime for international arrivals could be implemented to boost safe travel to


and from the UK - What steps can be taken to facilitate business and tourist travel on a bilateral and global basis, through innovative testing models and other non-testing means - More broadly, what steps can be taken to increase consumer confidence and reduce the barriers to a safe and sustainable recovery of international travel. The Chamber said it welcomed


any measures that would help the travel sector get back on its feet. The Chamber has been lobbying


over the past few months for a review into the Government’s quarantine policies which added to the difficulties already facing Birmingham Airport and the wider aviation industry during the pandemic. Chief executive Paul Faulkner


said: “For a number of months, we consistently pointed out the devastating impact that draconian quarantining policies were having on anchor institutions in the region


such as Birmingham Airport but also the wider aviation industry – clearly any measures introduced which can help the sector get back on its feet are most welcome.“The announcement made by the Secretary of State for Transport will hopefully provide a shot in the arm for our ailing tourism sector and help to safeguard thousands of jobs across the UK as reducing quarantine periods will mean people can get back to work quicker and get on with their lives. “By utilising innovative testing


methods, this will not only drive consumer confidence but also help to drive international trade – so vital to a region such as ours which exported over £30bn worth of goods and services across the globe last year. “The challenge the Government


now faces is to have a credible system up and running as soon as possible otherwise any potential economic uplift will be quickly flittered away.”


Full steam ahead for Moseley station plans


Plans for Moseley station have been given the green light by Birmingham City Council’s planning committee. All three proposed stations on the Camp Hill


line – Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell - now have planning permission marking a major step forward for plans to reopen the line to passenger services. The new Moseley station will include


platforms with a canopy, stairs and lifts, a forecourt drop off/pick up area, covered cycle storage, lighting and CCTV installed. David Isgrove, chairman of the Moseley


Forum, a community group working to improve 54 CHAMBERLINK November 2020


he area, said: “This is fantastic news after years and years of hoping and waiting. The opening of the railway station will be of great benefit to the community.” West Midlands mayor Andy Street said: “The


community was overwhelmingly supportive of reopening the Camp Hill line to passenger services for the first time since the Second World War. But they did raise some concerns about the traffic light junction and we listened, looked again and found we were able to redesign the entrance. In another rail initiative, the Birmingham Westside Metro extension has reached a major


milestone, as tracks laid last year in Centenary Square have now been linked up to new rail installed in Broad Street. This is part of phase two of the light rail


construction project underway in the city centre and means that more than 950 metres of double track are now installed in various locations between Broad Street and Five Ways heading towards Edgbaston. Mr Street said: “Improving our region’s


transport links is massively important as we make every effort to bring the benefits of economic development to every part of our region.”


Under threat: Birmingham Airport


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