MK to host ‘I’m a Transport Celebrity – Give Me Funding!’

Six passenger transport personalities will be making quick-fire pitches at Smarter Travel LIVE! in a bid to win the ‘Totally Smarter Transport Fund’, writes Meera Rambissoon

Picture the scene: Six livewire transport personalities, hungry for funding, with an appetite for smart ideas and willing to do anything to get their hands on the lion’s share of the ‘Totally Smarter Transport Fund (TSTF)’ – in the wilds of… Milton Keynes.

Milton Keynes, wild? (Cue jungle drums). More funding you didn’t know was available? (Cue louder drums?). Okay, it’s a virtual pot of money available for one day only (18 March) at Smarter Travel LIVE!

Think I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here but with fewer insects. Instead, our six contestants from the passenger transport world will be making quick-fire pitches for their sustainable transport idea to clinch the prize of £250,000. 

The TAS Partnership's Richard Armitage and me will form Preston’s answer to ‘Ant and Dec’ - with Arriva, Bus Users UK, Campaign for Better Transport, Essex County Council, Reading Buses and UCL Transport Institute providing the celebrities.

You, the audience, will vote for the celeb with the most compelling case – looking for innovation, customer experience enhancement and sustainability. Behind the fun lies the urgent need to seize all opportunities, when cash is tighter than a boa constrictor’s grasp.

"There is money out there… but it comes down to how you ask for it and your business case," says John Bickerton, chief engineer of Reading Buses. Here he offers his tips for success:

1. Be very clear about what you're asking for, and realistic about the support you need.

2. Spell out the benefits (environmental, economic, accessibility, service, commercial) of your scheme and think laterally to see the whole picture. 

3. Be realistic about timescales and costs; include a management plan; seek advice where you're unclear (consultants will pay for themselves here).

Who will be the smartest in the MK jungle? You tell us.

Meera Rambissoon is a senior consultant at The TAS Partnership