PLEASE, Do what Prof Dr Kevin Kendall writes here. This man is a world expert on hydrogen-electric-battery buses and has written books on the subject. A professor with his head screwed on the right way, with much of his working life in industry and inspiring his students. In answer to my question about his former job title, he wrote: "I was Professor in Chemical Engineering at Brum Uni. I was committed to getting all students working with industry. Without that, the Unis are not so beneficial."
Hi Tim,
I now use the Bham buses every day because it is a very regular service and is free for me as a pensioner. I avoided buses for 60 years before I saw the light.
My recommendation is to change the payment method so people get a free card.
Of course it is not free but the idea that you take as many journeys as you want makes a big difference to peoples' reactions.
My emphasis:
The buses should move to 2000 hydrogen-electric-battery buses ASAP. National Express has got it all wrong as have many other bus companies. And WMCA with City Council are not well-informed.
Wikipedia has of him:
"Kendall's invention of fine cell tubes allowed rapid start-up and led to many academic papers and two books that were highly cited.[28][29][30] Kendall moved to the University of Birmingham in 2000 and built a substantial group in Chemical Engineering working on hydrogen and fuel cells.[31] He and his colleagues, Prof. Dr. Bruno Georges Pollet and Dr Waldemar Bujalski opened the first UK green-hydrogen station refueling five fuel-cell-battery-taxis in 2008[23][32][30][33] and has continued since his retiring from teaching in 2011 to encourage city/industry leadership in clean-energy transport, not achievable by academics, linking with Asia where the growing car population nearing 1 billion is a desperate problem.[30] He was first in showing that the hydrogen fuel cell vehicle used 50% less energy than a comparable combustion car.[34]" (my emphasis)
On Friday, 12 June 2026 at 08:53:18 BST, Tim Weller <timweller1@gmail.com> wrote:
Dear friends
Can your success be imitated by other bus companies to get more people using buses than their own private, individual cars?
What do you consider is your very best practice in attracting bus passengers?
Have you ever compared and contrasted and talked with other companies as to who has the best model for making public transport more popular at the expense of private, individual travel? Especially, to reduce wasteful, unnecessary, one to a car commuting when the car is not needed for the driver's employment.
Are you gradually moving towards more non-fossil fueled vehicles? Hydrogen fueled cell electric buses, perhaps? Or battery electric vehicles? Which do you prefer and why?
How are bus companies helping isolated communities, like Clun in Shropshire, to be weaned off private car dependency towards more bus travel?
Should your spending priorities be more towards that than electric buses? Or do both together?
Is there an academic study that shows how success is more likely in persuading car owners to choose some inconvenience and to wait for the community bus to Ludlow, Welshpool or Shrewsbury in the case of Shropshire?
Does a range of vehicle sizes help to get the right size for the right location?
Does regional Fare-Free Public Transport and, free nationally for buses for my pensioner age group make any difference or is it just a waste of taxpayers' money?
I would be glad to read, please, what you think is the best way towards saving finite fossil fuels, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and lessening the Climate Emergency.
Tim Weller Halesowen West Midlands
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