A role in coach and bus is worth treasuring for its enormous contribution to society, highlights Confederation of Passenger Transport President and Stagecoach London MD Paul Lynch
Normally these columns cover something topical, but this month I want to provide a reminder of something more timeless – that what we all do in this great industry of ours matters.
While plenty of people working in coach and bus always knew that was what they wanted to do, others stumbled into it and stayed.
I suppose I was somewhere in the middle. I never knew what I wanted to do and went to university thinking that would help me decide — or at least buy me some time to think about it. It didn’t and, on graduating, I was just as clueless about an actual career as before.
However, I had spent a lot of time as a student volunteering in a community action organisation, which involved work with elderly people, mental health, children’s projects, welfare rights and much else. Indeed, I was elected to do a sabbatical year to run the thing.
This meant that a lot of the people I was friendly with were looking to go into the various caring professions and similar. While I knew that wasn’t me, it gave me a sense that I wanted to do something “useful” with my life.
I applied for a variety of roles with all sorts of organisations, but I must have been saying something right when it came to transport as the only applications I got anywhere with (and these date me!) were British Rail, the National Freight Organisation, and London Regional Transport (LRT).
The penny then dropped that transport, particularly public transport, was vital to communities and society; indeed places like London couldn’t function without them.
This sector was also a place for real responsibility, career development and variety — all key considerations for an ambitious young person. So, I joined LRT as a bus ops trainee.
I should add that the endless debate about regulation and ownership of the industry doesn’t change any of this, in my view.
Making a difference to everyday lives
Public transport remains key, whether you happen to believe that its ownership should be public or private, and whoever has ultimate responsibility for its organisation and delivery.
All these years later I have worked in regulated and deregulated regimes, for commercial and publicly owned organisations, at home and abroad – and all in buses.
My career has given me what I looked for. I have worked with people at all levels who don’t just do this because they have to; they care about what they do, the coach and bus services they run for their customers, and the colleagues who provide them. This informs their decision-making.
What other sector can contribute so much to community, society, economy, congestion, wellbeing, the environment and more?
This, I would add, applies to those who have come into the industry at a later stage in their career too; they notice there’s something special about it and the people in it.
I cover this subject whenever I talk to new Stagecoach London employees because, while some of them will have considered it, many won’t, and it’s a good way of motivating and inspiring people that they’ve made a good decision – particularly as in some cases, let’s be honest, friends and family may have questioned or even derided their choice.
I tell them we don’t just enable people in London to access work, retail, leisure, etc, but that also we enable them to live their lives.
My current role with the Confederation of Passenger Transport, where I’ve met more good people and seen more of the industry’s activities, has of course only reinforced all this.
What other sector can contribute so much to community, society, economy, congestion, wellbeing, the environment and more?
Next time you’re having a bad day, remind yourself that what you do matters.
