We will strengthen our position as a leading voice for diversity and inclusion in the bus industry. We will continue to influence, inspire and champion progress by working closely with our key partners.

We will continue our involvement in the UK Bus Awards and deeper engagement with other industry recognition schemes.

This year, we will work with Passenger Transport magazine to showcase the stories of mentors and mentees across the sector, highlighting the individuals who are shaping a more inclusive future for bus.

We will further deepen collaboration with Women in Bus and Coach by aligning our efforts, sharing expertise and resources, and supporting each other’s initiatives.

This enhanced partnership will enable stronger knowledge exchange and amplify our shared goals for advancement.

With a renewed focus on Women’s Safety on Bus, we will shine a light on the excellent work already happening across the industry and amplify it. This is our moment to learn more and amplify more!

We know significant work is already underway, and we aim to bring operators together to share insight and learn from one another.

By doing so, we can identify what works, build on best practice, and collectively raise standards for women’s safety across the network.

Inspired by Sarah Hope MBE, across the UK there is a need for a consistent and compassionate approach to supporting both the public and colleagues following serious incidents.

Informed by a ‘commitment to openness’, we are exploring the potential to develop a model that mirrors best practice and can be adopted widely across the industry.

Our ambition is to influence the creation of a framework that promotes transparency, support and consistency.

To underpin this, we will undertake a survey to map existing support structures, learn from best practice, and shape recommendations for an industry-wide approach.

The shift to franchising presents a chance to embed diversity and inclusion more deeply across the sector and to enhance the development and progression of women in the industry.

We will work to influence this space by ensuring that franchising frameworks, training requirements, cultural expectations, and development pathways all support a more inclusive environment; one that actively role models inclusive behaviours, builds diverse talent pipelines, and creates routes for all underrepresented groups to succeed.

Women in Transport’s Equity Index remains a vital tool for driving change across our sector.

In 2026, we will refocus our efforts to ensure all our members are playing a part.

All member organisations of the D&I Bus Group will be encouraged to complete the Equity Index survey, an initiative that provides meaningful data to benchmark progress and identify areas for improvement.