The Freewheeling Podcast

Data City Founder Tom Forth has been told some extraordinary reasons why the North underperforms the South.Including that it’s down to Northerners being stupid. Or drunk. He’s even read academic papers outlining these theories.In a fascinating episode of the podcast, we get into a discussion on the real reasons. They go back a thousand years but transport and our hyper-centralised way of making decisions are right at the heart of it.I really hope you enjoy listening to this conversation as much as I enjoyed having it.

Caroline Seton is the co-founder of the London bike share firm Forest.They’re in unambiguous second place to Lime, the great global bicycle behemoth - but, famously, being second makes a firm try harder.In today’s episode, we talk about the challenges of being a shared mobility firm in a municipal environment, the realities of whether cities actually want sustainable transport and the changes she would make to transport policy.Above all - more bike parking and less car parking please!

The Budget has finally been unveiled.But what does it mean for transport?In this week’s episode, I review the budget with Sir Michael Holden, former Chairman of Directly Operated Railways.We discuss the impact on railway economics (and whether there’s money for the fares freeze), whether the fuel duty increases will actually happen, the Government’s commitment to capital investment and - above all - the need for an overarching strategy.

The world’s moving faster than ever, and policy changes with dizzying pace.It was only in 2021 that the Conservatives issued the most pro-bus policy document probably ever published by a British Government.The National Bus Strategy was something of a marvel for those of us who want to see better public transport.It promised a vision of bus lanes in every town, coordinated networks and exceptional quality - all backed up by billions of pounds of new investment.Today, Leon Daniels and I look back in time to publication day and review how it’s gone since then.

Why does electrification in the UK cost so much more than in the rest of Europe?And why does it always seem to go wrong?In today’s episode, I talk to Managing Director (UK) of Furrer+Frey, the leading Swiss engineering company.We delve into the root cause of the problem: the way HM Treasury makes funding decisions, which results in a feast-famine environment in which teams are trained, mobilised, demobilised and the skills lost. Repeatedly.We also discuss whether it’s going to get any better…

𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘂𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁, and the Alderman responsible for transport and mobility policy.He took over the portfolio and immediately set about trying to make Ghent a more beautiful, peaceful city.As I can confirm from having visited, he really succeeded! But not without a lot of difficulty, even including death threats.Today’s episode is a masterclass in the art of transport changemaking: the focus on experimentation, clear strategy and the need for urgency. He also highlights the power of storytelling, the limitations of data and highlights that, despite the death threats, the Circulation Plan helped him increase his majority at the next election.Come with me to Belgium and see just what a motivated, inspiring transport changemaker can do.

Founding a startup is hard, but it’s even harder when you’re dealing with the most painful and emotive moments in peoples’ lives.That’s what Dan Garrett decided to do when he created Farewill, now the country’s largest “Deathtech” firm.His business enables peoples to self-serve themselves wills, as well as offering other services including probate and even cremation.How do you move fast when you’re dealing with something as important as death? How do you get the right balance between risk, rules and pace?

Mini Holland is the poster-child for the transformation of an urban area.A network of congested residential streets in North East London has become peaceful and tranquil. The local high street converted from a double-parked rat-run into a desirable pedestrianised destination.As the first Low Traffic Neighbourhood of the modern era, council reps from across Britain (and Europe) have visited to learn lessons.Not that I needed travel far: it all happened in Walthamstow, where I live, and my kids were two of the many who benefited.It was the vision of 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗺 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝗹𝘆𝗱𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀, and he tells me the full inspirational story in today’s episode.

Autonomous public transport has the potential to transform our cities. Suburbs that are not currently served by public transport could be cost-effectively connected for the first time, while conventional bus routes could be expanded.One city that is taking the lead in experimenting with autonomous public transport is Paris, under the leadership of James Dick at RATP.In today’s episode, he tells me just how close he believes they are to delivering autonomous buses out on the road, driverless and at scale.It’s a great conversation with a transport leader passionate about the future and making sure that our sector meets it head-on and with positivity. Enjoy!

Gian-Mattia Schucan founded Fairtiq to make travelling by public transport effortless: no tickets, no gates, no stress. We talk about the journey from idea to reality, what operators really want from innovators and how to make change happen in public transport.I’m sad to say that this is the last episode of Season 4 but, don’t worry, I’ll be back with Season 5 in September.

“It's fine when you're swinging big to have a few misses in a controlled environment” - 𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 making it very clear that it’s fine for public sector organisations to try things and fail. In today’s episode, I talk to Jonny about what value for money really means, why BCR is often misused and how the NAO supports innovation in the public sector. The conversation about BCRs is also fascinating: highlighting that value-for-money rules don’t require complex decisions to be boiled down to a single number. Do take a listen to this one!

What happens when a rail consultant unexpectedly becomes an MP? In this episode, I talk to Olly Glover MP about the chaos of election night, the shock of landing in Parliament and what the job of an MP really involves. We explore why innovation is hard in legacy sectors like rail, and how the UK’s political system both helps and hinders progress. Olly shares his frustrations with UK transport policy, his thoughts on rolling electrification and why he can’t stand Prime Minister’s Questions.

My guest this week is Anjali Devadasan, founder of Treeva, a startup generating energy from passing vehicles and trains. Her turbines harness airflow to power local infrastructure like lighting and EV chargers. We talked about the technology, the challenges of scaling, and her personal drive to tackle climate change, inspired by her family’s personal experience of climate-change induced flash floods. Anjali also shared great advice for founders around protecting time for strategy, running real world experiments and building around purpose.A truly inspirational conversation with someone who’s achieved incredible things very early in her career.

In Oslo, Christian Willoch and his team at Ruter are doing something most cities haven’t even begun to talk about – using autonomous vehicles to strengthen public transport, not compete with it.In this episode, I visit the pilot project they’ve got going, with real members of the public travelling on Ruter-branded autonomous vehicles in exactly the kind of outer suburb in which this technology will be transformative. We talk about why Oslo's approach isn’t about robotaxis, but about public service and affordable mobility for all. Christian shares the lessons they’ve learned, the challenges ahead and why cities need to start planning now before they’re caught off guard.Afterwards, I take a ride in one of their autonomous vehicles. You can listen into my live audio commentary of the experience…

Stephen Bush, Associate Editor at the Financial Times, is one of the few political journalists who truly gets transport policy.In this episode, we talk about why transport matters far more to economic productivity than politicians realise, why ambition in major infrastructure projects has declined since the financial crisis and why simply nationalising services won't fix public transport.Stephen also shares insights on why London’s success is the exception not the rule (and how its future success is not guaranteed) and we discuss whether a mayor of a major British city (Greater Manchester, for example) could become Prime Minister.

Elke Van den Brandt has transformed Brussels' streets – and taken a political battering for doing so. As the city’s mobility minister, she’s championed slower speeds, safer roads and public spaces that feel more like “living rooms than corridors”. We talk about her 30km/h city-wide limit, the backlash it sparked, the silent majority that supports it and the power of empathy, small projects and showing up in person.It was a superb insight into how political bravery, behavioural science and empathy (backed up by strong leadership) can work together to reshape cities for the better.

Here’s a taster of what’s coming up in Season 4.Subscribe to enjoy the full series!

In this episode, I’m joined by Lars Strömgren, Vice Mayor for Transport and Urban Environment in Stockholm, and one of the people most responsible for Sweden’s cycling boom. We explore how Stockholm went from a city with less than 1% cycling modal share in the 1980s to one of the most bike-friendly places in Europe. Lars reflects on how his childhood on his grandmother’s bike shaped his passion for urban planning, and why he sees infrastructure, narrative and community engagement as the holy trinity of sustainable mobility.We talk about the normalisation of cycling (and how it shifted from working-class mode to middle-class badge of honour), the fight to introduce zero emission zones and how livable streets can go from controversial to loved. Lars also shares why it’s hard to take a photo of clean air, but easy to show people enjoying a tree-lined street!We also discuss some unexpected angles: how my local high street in Walthamstow inspired parts of Stockholm, what it means to use storytelling as a tool in planning and why building cities out of wood might be the next frontier in sustainability.

For the last episode in Season 3, I’m joined by Tom Nutley of Urban Sharing to dive into the state of micromobility: what’s working, what isn’t - and why.We explore the roots of the industry, from 1960s bike shares to the scooter boom, and discuss how cities have too often repeated past mistakes. Tom argues passionately that micromobility must be treated as part of the public transport ecosystem, with proper funding and infrastructure, and not just a revenue grab or VC play. We challenge both cities and operators to rethink their roles and stop pointing fingers, emphasising the urgent need for long-term integration, especially for underserved areas and first/last mile journeys.Whether you're a policymaker, transport professional or just curious about urban mobility, this is a compelling and thought-provoking conversation about getting it right. Tom doesn’t hold back!I’ll be back in May with Season 4!

Why is Britain’s economy so lopsided? In most developed countries, you don’t have to move to the capital to find the best jobs, yet in the UK, that’s still the reality for many. London dominates, while our second-tier cities (Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, etc) underperform compared to their European counterparts.Paul Swinney, Director of Policy and Research at the Centre for Cities, has spent his career unpicking this puzzle. In this episode, we explore why Britain’s economic geography looks the way it does, what’s holding back regional growth, and what role transport plays in fixing it. Paul explains what agglomeration means and why it matters, why productivity isn’t just about skills and why intra-city transport is more important than rail links between cities.We also dive into how post-pandemic work trends are reshaping transport economics, why the UK systematically underinvests in urban connectivity and why solving the North-South divide isn’t just about fairness—it’s about unlocking national economic potential.Given we have a Government obsessed with growth, I really hope Rachel Reeves hears this one…