Black Country Transport to deliver update at Forum event
Black Country Transport (BCT) – a strategic transport partnership between Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton Councils – will deliver an update at the Transport + Energy Forum event which is taking place in Birmingham on 17th November.
BCT brings together officers from the four Black Country local authorities; with a team of central officers to provide project management of cross-boundary transport schemes. By working collaboratively, the group aims to assist the local authorities with developing projects that span more than one borough and encourage consistency of provision across the Black Country region.
Kester Sleeman is the Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle Programme Manager for Black Country Transport and will provide an update on the activities of the group – including how it has overcome challenges with electric vehicle infrastructure connections processes; the costs involved; and ensuring that the rollout of charging points is done in a socially equitable way.
Kester works across the four councils which sit within the West Midlands, serving over a million people, to help deliver the objectives of their shared ULEV Strategy in a collaborative way. He has a background in Mechanical Engineering and the automotive industry and is passionate about equitable and zero-carbon transport.
Black Country Transport is innovative in its approach to roads by ensuring they cater for all by providing for walking, cycling, cars, lorries, and public transport. The projects developed also work with new technologies, such as optimised traffic signals that can support cycle and bus priority and alter their timings depending on traffic demand, and electric vehicle charge points.
Transport + Energy Editorial Director Alec Peachey said: “The local authority officers who represent Black Country Transport have been on a fascinating journey to rollout EV charging infrastructure across four council areas. Delegates at this year’s Transport + Energy Forum will be able to hear more about the challenges and opportunities brought about by this and learn about practical steps that they can implement within their own organisations.
“We are fully funding a number of local authority spaces at the event, but this particular session will also capture the imagination of a much wider group of stakeholders who are now commonly involved in working together to meet the needs of residents in areas such as those covered by Black Country Transport. It will be a fascinating insight into some of the actions that are needed to decarbonise now – which is of course the overarching theme of the event.”
The inaugural Transport + Energy Forum – takes place on 17th November at the Birmingham Conference & Events Centre and will focus on immediate steps that need to be taken to decarbonise now. The event is being supported by a number of industry partners which will be announced over the next few weeks.
Spaces for local councils will be provided free of charge so that each participating company is guaranteed access to local government officers who sit at the heart of this transition.
