The Covid-19 pandemic meant postponing the planned March 2020 conference. So in June 2021 we ran a series of short, snappy YBMN Lunchtime Sessions on Zoom. Lasting 45 minutes, each one started with a brief presentation followed by Q & A with leading speakers from the bus industry. The four Sessions were designed to give four different perspectives on the challenges and opportunities in the bus industry post pandemic.

We kicked off with buses minister, Baroness Vere who presented highlights of the government's Buses Back Better strategy (which led to YBMN's first mention in Private Eye with a quote from the Baroness). The following week Pete Bond, Director of Transport Services at Transport for West Midlands, give the view from a public sector transport perspective. Week three featured straight talking serial bus entrepreneur Julian Peddle, who us his views on the government strategy and the direction the industry was going. The final week featured Go-Ahead Group Chief Executive David Brown who looked to the future and what companies can do to work with local authorities and grow passenger numbers.