The Freewheeling Podcast

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.

Michael Hill used to be a civil servant but now works on policy for the campaign group Britain Remade.
In that role, he’s trying to push through policy changes to get Britain building.
In today’s episode, we talk through the extraordinary degree of political centralisation in the UK and why this is a direct contributor to making it so hard to build new tram lines in the UK.
He gives the current Government a mid-term review and tells me the policy asks from any future new Prime Minister.

My guest this week is a transport changemaker attempting to achieve change in the most populous country on earth.
Ruchita Bansal is a transport and urban planner by background, and is now founder of SheCity.
Her research reveals the extra costs imposed on women by the transport choices of Indian leaders, and the wider impact this has on society and the Indian economy.
In today’s episode, she brings these impacts vividly to life, all set in the context of how Indian cities are designed by leaders not for citizens.

Jonathan Bray was Director of the Urban Transport Group and has spent the last year visiting suburbs all round Europe. He’s just published his findings, and it makes for a fascinating discussion.
He’s clear that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to making sustainable transport work in suburbs. Instead, it’s all about the questions cities ask and the people they invite into the room when the decisions are taken.
In today’s episode, he takes me on a tour of different examples of best practice in Europe but focuses primarily on getting the questions right.