This conference will address the critical balancing act faced by passenger transport operators, and local and national government in fixing fares levels on services to ensure commercial incentives to provide and invest in services, justify public support to secure services the market would not provide, and achieve modal transfer to yield public benefits.

Papers will look at national policy level issues from private enterprise, local authority and governmental speakers, consider the latest research and customer response evidence, and review case studies of specific pricing challenges for both area-wide, local route and corridor situations.

Speakers include: John Carr, Visiting Senior Lecturer, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds; Brian Cox, Independent Transport Consultant; Chris Cheek, Director, The TAS Partnership Ltd; Graham Parkhurst, Senior Lecturer in Transport Planning, Centre for Transport and Society, University of West of England; Roger Mackett, Professor of Transport Studies, University College London; Richard Davies, Director of Economics and Strategic Planning, Strategic Rail Authority; Mark Fowles, Managing Director, Nottingham City Transport Ltd; Jim Barclay, Assistant Director - Passenger Transport Services, Merseytravel; Giles Fearnley, Chairman, Blazefield Holdings; Peter Wiltshire, Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Transport & Society, University of West of England; Chris Whittle, Senior Aviation Planner, Mott MacDonald; Justin Cooper, Transportation Engineering Manager, Caerphilly County Borough Council; Kris Beuret, Director, Social Research Associates and James Cooper, Head of Taxi Studies Group, Napier University