The FTL Podcast

Free and easy? Tackling fare evasion on London's transport network

Fare evasion costs TfL an estimated £190m a year in lost income. In this episode, London Underground's former Operational Research Manager Gerry Weston shares his thoughts on the challenges facing TfL in it's continual fight against fare dodgers.

Superloop - super-bus or super-hype?

In this podcast we examine TfL's Superloop, a network of express bus routes which aims to improve connections and journey times between key outer London town centres and transport hubs. Transport consultant John Barry examines the development of Superloop and considers if it indeed improves journey times across and around the capital. 

AI and the Art of Bus Fleet Maintenance

Shane Mann, CEO of fleet intelligence & management software company Tranzaura, is our guest for the 17th edition of the FTL Podcast.  Tranzaura's ‘FleetNow’ platform helps fleets and transport operators power up decision-making and operational efficiency whilst lowering costs and risk.  Shane outlines how IT and Artificial Intelligence are helping to transform the bus maintenance sector, and why the bus driver will a remain key element in delivering effective public transport services.

Small is beautiful: putting the micro into mobility

What is micromobility and can it improve life for the disabled?  Gordon McCullough, CEO of the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC) is the guest in the latest Future Transport London discussion.  Asking the questions are Greenwich Councillor and FTL member, David Gardner, and teacher and campaigner Salli Martlew.   

Powering public transport: the growth of electric bus fleets

Our guest for this episode is Steven Meersman, one of the founders of Zenobē, a leading owner and operator of battery storage in the UK.  In the podcast Steven discusses the challenges of providing power to 25% of the UK e-bus market.
Zenobē’s EV report, Charging forward: How electric bus fleets can energise the UK’s cities is available here

Accessibility: transport for all?

Maggie Heraty OBE, FTL member and advisor on accessible transport, and Martin Barber OBE, former Director at the United Nations, discuss the challenges of improving access to transport for disabled and other groups. Asking the questions is Andrew Smithers

Solve the school run: sustainable transport for schools

Nicole Pastore, cofounder of Solve the School Run, discusses the campaign group's mission to create a safe, clean and green school run for every child across London and beyond. 
 

Fare-free London: the case for free public transport across the capital

In this episode of the FTL Podcast, special guest Simon Pirani, honorary professor at the University of Durham and author of Burning Up: A Global History of Fossil Fuel Consumption, proposes the introduction of free public transport across the capital.

HS2: An Alternative Infrastructure

FTL's Neil Roth proposes repurposing the Phase 1 tracks between Birmingham Curzon Street and Old Oak Common as a new western branch of the Elizabeth line. Connecting the HS2 tracks at Old Oak Common to the existing Elizabeth Line tracks nearby would be much quicker, simpler, and cheaper than extending HS2 to Euston.
 
 

The Road to Net Zero: Part 2: Decarbonising the Broader Transport Sector

In the second of two podcasts, Dr Drew Pearce, Research Associate in the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, considers the challenges of decarbonising the broader transport sector beyond private car usage. The first episode is available on the FTL website at https://www.futuretransportlondon.org/podcasts