The Freewheeling Podcast

David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, joins me to discuss the transformative impact of devolution on local governance.
He emphasises the critical role of transport in enabling economic growth, health, and skills of a region with distinct challenges.
In our conversation, Skaith highlights the need for significant investment in bus services and active travel, noting a 50% decline in bus miles over 10 years.
I always enjoy talking to this generation of Mayors, as - far more than central Government - they understand that transport is not a ‘thing’ on its own: it is an essential enabler of a healthy, prosperous society.
This Interchat is a great example.
Interchats are a series of short conversations recorded on the conference floor at Interchange 26 in Manchester.

What is lost when the government sells its own brain?
In today's Interchat with TRL CEO Paul Campion, we discuss the privatisation of Britain's transport research laboratory and what is about to happen when autonomous vehicles arrive on London's streets.
Paul is generous about the gains from privatisation: agility, commercial discipline and the freedom to change. What went was the peer relationship with the DfT, because public sector procurement is a search for a predefined answer rather than a search for a better question.
We also discuss his real worry about autonomy, which is not that the vehicles will crash but the risks of zero-occupancy vehicles.
Interchats are a series of short conversations recorded on the conference floor at Interchange 26 in Manchester.

Some of my favourite conversations are those that bring in the perspective of someone from outside our sector and todays is a great example.
Adam Scott designs experiences for multiple sectors globally. How are we doing in transport? Where are we on his mental ranking? What do we need to learn? What are we already good at?
Spoiler alert - he doesn't feel we're at the absolute top of the league table for experience design, but the great thing is that gives us an awful lot of potential to improve!
Interchats are a series of short conversations recorded on the conference floor at Interchange 26 in Manchester.

𝗞𝗮𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸, has worked in three different transport modes, but always for a private firm. In today’s episode, she gives a powerful defence of the role and value of the private sector in transport.
She also describes what customer-focused leadership looks like and emphasises the importance of empowerment.
Katy is clear, articulate and passionate about both the importance of customer excellence and private sector discipline in delivering it. At a time when the political climate is in the opposite direction, it’s great to hear the argument stated with such clarity.

What’s it like running the biggest integrated transport authority in the world when there’s not enough money around?
In today’s Interchat with Transport for London Commissioner Andy Lord, we discuss TfL’s role in economic growth and job creation - and the huge challenge of an ageing asset base.
Financial sustainability is hard for any organisation but when you need to keep fares low for social purposes and need to spend £1.1bn on renewing your existing asset bases, it’s incredibly hard.
In this Interchat, we discuss how TfL’s attempting to square the circle.
Interchats are a series of short conversations recorded on the conference floor at Interchange 26 in Manchester.