31: Lunch with Leon episode 31 - Roger Davies

With a starter about rail, main course about commuter travel and dessert on the bus industry, this week’s Lunch with Leon sees him talking with career busman, author and controversial straight-talking commentator Roger Davies.Roger sets out why transport needs ‘clean fixes now – not projects that give proclaimed benefits in the 2030s and beyond’.He argues: “We should be concentrating on what needs to be done now, rather than grandiose schemes that deliver way into the future, if at all.”They also debate whether home-working will lead to more off-shoring of jobs and why he believes airlines will recover quicker than rail after Covid.The impact on  buses of what he calls the ‘higher education industry’ - due to universities being big local economic players and major buildings owners – should not be underestimated, he says.Roger and Leon conclude by talking about the benefits of home working to local economies and why the industry has big opportunities for the integration of buses and logistics.