Bus industry showcases economic contribution at Westminster event

Leaders from across the UK bus industry gathered in Parliament this week to highlight the sector’s contribution to jobs, manufacturing and economic growth, while urging policymakers to strengthen support for domestic bus production.

Around 50 senior industry representatives attended the UK Bus Fair, an event organised by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Buses. The gathering brought together manufacturers, suppliers, politicians and industry stakeholders to discuss the future of the sector and its role in supporting the UK economy.

Among those attending were Buses Minister Simon Lightwood MP and more than 20 MPs and members of the House of Lords, including transport spokespersons from both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties.

The APPG is jointly chaired by Euan Stainbank MP and Jim Allister MP, whose constituencies are home to major UK bus manufacturing facilities operated by Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus respectively. The group is supported by a number of businesses across the bus manufacturing supply chain, including Alexander Dennis, Aalco Metals, Alfatronix, Dellner Glass, Grayson Thermal Systems, Sherwood Stainless Steel and Aluminium, and Wrightbus.

A key focus of the event was the importance of ensuring future public investment in buses supports UK manufacturing. The APPG is calling for changes to procurement policies that would place greater emphasis on factors such as domestic job creation, UK-based assembly, supply chain strength and industrial capability when awarding contracts.

The group is also seeking an increase in the minimum social value weighting applied to bus procurement tenders, alongside greater transparency around future bus purchasing decisions to allow Parliament to assess how effectively public funding supports British industry.

Addressing attendees, Buses Minister Simon Lightwood said:

“The UK has a rich history in bus manufacturing, and this Government is committed to supporting its long-term success – protecting jobs and delivering real benefits for communities, workers and supply chains across the country.”

The APPG’s co-chairs highlighted the importance of the sector to both economic growth and the transition to cleaner transport.

Euan Stainbank MP and Jim Allister MP said:

“The UK’s bus manufacturing industry plays a strategically important role in delivery this Government’s ambitions for job creation, manufacturing capabilities and decarbonisation. Over 50,000’s workers jobs are reliant on the health of this sector, and more than £180m is spent each year on capital investment in UK-manufacturing buses.

“We welcome steps that the Government has already taken to support the UK bus sector, such as through the UK Bus Manufacturing Expert Panel. However, foreign manufacturers market share is rapidly rising. The DfT’s own figures show that up to 21,500 zero emission buses will be purchased in the UK over the next ten years, as many of these as possible should be built in the United Kingdom.

“The transition to zero-emission fleets therefore present a significant, strategic opportunity for Government to decarbonise transport and support domestic manufacturing.”

Industry leaders used the event to underline the potential economic benefits of the shift towards zero-emission buses, arguing that future fleet investment programmes could play a major role in supporting manufacturing jobs, regional economies and supply chains throughout the UK.

With thousands of new zero-emission buses expected to be ordered over the coming decade, the sector believes procurement decisions taken in the coming years will be crucial in determining how much of that investment remains within the UK economy.