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Sector Focus


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


Ditching diesel is just the ticket for National Express


National Express Group has pledged never to buy another diesel vehicle, after outlining its vision to become the UK’s most sustainable bus and coach company. As well as no more diesel buses,


the firm is also aiming to bring its first electric coaches into service next year. Its ambition that its UK bus and


UK coach fleets will be fully zero emission from 2030 and 2035 respectively. This new vision follows the firm’s


sustained investment in Euro VI vehicles, which are deemed to be the least polluting of petrol and diesel vehicles. National Express, which operates


most of the buses in Birmingham, Coventry and Dundee, has placed a major order for electric buses are due to enter service in the West Midlands in the coming months. These vehicles will be supplied by the Alexander Dennis Limited


(ADL) and BYD Europe partnership. ADL is a Scottish based busmaker and BYD is a global leader in batteries and electric buses. The decision to go electric in Birmingham will turn the clock back to the days of one of National Express’ predecessors, Birmingham City Transport, which ran a fleet of vehicles made up of mostly electric powered trams until 1953. National Express’ coach arm is


also going electric, but at present there is no such vehicle capable of long distance travel. National Express is currently trialling an electric coach on its short distance Stansted shuttle, but has challenged the bus industry to come up with a vehicle that has long distance capability. Dean Finch, National Express


Group chief executive said: “Bus and coach travel is already one of the greenest ways to get around, with each bus removing up to 75 cars from the road.


Boost for canal plan


A student property firm has stepped in to help the restoration of a Birmingham canal, by making a £20,000 donation. The restoration is of the Dudley No 2 Canal, where it runs through


Selly Oak. Unite Students, which is a provider of student accommodation, has been working on the restoration since last year, and recently organised volunteer groups to clean up the canal and towpath. The £20,000 donation will be used to start the construction of a


‘winding hole’, a kind of aquatic turning circle on the Worcester and Birmingham Canal which will be used by boats to turn into Dudley No 2. One of Unite’s buildings, Battery Park, is opposite the winding hole


site. This opened last September, and is home to 418 students. Dr Andrew Hardie, chairman of the Lapal Canal Trust, said: “We are


very grateful for the generous donation of £20,000 from Unite Students, which will enable us to start constructing the winding hole, before we move on to the next phase of the canal restoration through to Selly Oak Park.” Victoria Simmons, Unite’s Birmingham area manager, said: “Our top


priority is keeping our students safe and providing a brilliant experience - we want to extend this to the local community in the areas surrounding our student home. Working closely with the University of Birmingham and local charities, we are working to make a positive impact that benefits a wide range of people.”


70 CHAMBERLINK April 2020


The end: National Express’ last diesel bus, which will operate in Coventry “National Express has already


invested in clean buses and coaches and kept fares low to support a shift from private cars to mass transit. “Working through our West Midlands Bus Alliance we have achieved the fastest passenger growth of any major city-region in the country, demonstrating its success. “However we understand the


imperative to go much further, so we are today setting out an


ambition to be the first zero emission transport group in the UK. “Our decision to never again buy


a diesel bus in the UK coupled with our support in leading the zero emission transition in coach will place our UK operations at the forefront of efforts to tackle climate change and poor air quality. “We simply believe this is the


right thing to do for our customers, the communities we serve and our stakeholders.”


Hauliers air their concerns


The Road Haulage Association (RHA) is calling for the government to reform its Clean Air Zone (CAZ) policy as matter of urgency. The RHA has condemned the


current approach as ‘expensive, inflexible and ineffective’, and would have an adverse effect on the resale value of non-Euro VI rated trucks. Euro VI are rated as


the least polluting diesel and petrol vehicles. Euro VI diesels will be compliant with the CAZ that Birmingham City Council is introducing this summer. The Birmingham CAZ – which


has been beset with ongoing teething problems – covers a large area of the city centre, bounded by Ladywood in the west, Bordesley in the east, Highgate in the south and New Town in the north. RHA chief executive Richard


Burnett (pictured) said: “We all want clean air, but the right policies are needed to achieve it without damaging business. We have consistently pointed out the flaws with the current approach but this seems to have fallen on deaf ears within government. “The current policy


is seeing hard-working and long-established firms go out-of- business. There are


better ways forward. “Of course we want to


decarbonise our industry but it


is vital that Ministers and policymakers learn lessons so that the right framework is in place to address climate change. It must also support jobs and economic growth.” The RHA says it has an


‘alternative, smarter solution’, where it wants to see a system of ‘intelligent phasing’ introduced.


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