Following the death of John Taylor, a true pioneer of Community Transport whose influence on our sector is difficult to overstate, CTA wanted to take time to remember John and reflect with gratitude on his remarkable contribution to the sector.
In 1986, John was a founding director of Community Transport Services, which later became CTA. For more than four decades, he dedicated his knowledge, time and energy to making transport safer, more accessible and more inclusive. He was a campaigner, adviser, mentor and friend to countless people and organisations across Community Transport, and his work helped shape much of the sector we recognise today.
Generations of Community Transport operators turned to John for guidance, whether they were establishing a new service, navigating changes in legislation or simply trying to make sure they were doing the right thing for their passengers and communities. John’s expertise helped enable the development of community minibus services, dial-a-ride schemes and voluntary car services across the country. Behind the legislation and technical knowledge was a very clear purpose: enabling people to travel safely and with dignity, and to remain connected to the places, people and services that mattered to them.
John was a gifted, natural raconteur who had the ability to explain the complex world of minibus legislation in an engaging and understandable manner. Recognisable in one of his trademark colourful shirts, he also had a superb eye for detail, as anyone who emailed him for advice and received one of his responses can attest.
In 1994, John co-founded The TAS Partnership with Peter Huntley, helping to establish what would become one of the UK’s leading transport consultancies. Over the next 32 years as a director, he brought exceptional knowledge, experience and commitment to his work, becoming one of the sector’s most respected experts in community, rural and accessible transport. Through his work with TAS, John made a significant contribution to transport policy and practice across the UK, helping organisations to improve services, address complex challenges and develop transport solutions that better connected people and communities. His expertise, particularly in community and accessible transport, continues to influence the sector today.
You can read The TAS Partnership’s tribute to John Taylor here.
One of John’s most enduring legacies was his role in the creation and development of the Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme (MiDAS), which has become the nationally recognised standard for minibus driver training across the UK. Through his vision, expertise and unwavering commitment to passenger safety, John helped establish a framework that has trained and supported countless drivers over the past three decades. MiDAS transformed standards within Community Transport and beyond, helping to ensure safer, more professional and more accessible journeys for millions of passengers. Today, the scheme remains a cornerstone of the sector and a lasting testament to John’s dedication to improving Community Transport for everyone.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, John provided invaluable guidance and advice to Community Transport operators trying to navigate an unprecedented situation while continuing to support some of the most isolated people in their communities. He also played an important role in supporting the sector during the challenges surrounding the November 2019 Judicial Review and the wider debate about the application of European regulations to Community Transport. His understanding of both the legislation and the practical realities facing operators made him a trusted source of advice at a time of significant uncertainty.
But focusing only on John’s work in legislation and training would tell only part of the story. Over the years, he provided advice, research and practical support to an enormous range of community organisations and local authorities. His expertise covered everything from needs analysis and governance to volunteering, financial management, business planning and operational delivery. The result of that work can be seen in organisations across the country that became stronger and more sustainable because of his advice, and in the lives of disabled and older people who were able to travel with greater independence, dignity, care and safety.
John also practised the values he advocated. As a voluntary trustee of Preston Community Transport, he continued to give his own time directly to the movement he had spent so many years supporting.
Away from Community Transport, John was a long-standing season ticket holder with “The Shrimps” (Morecambe FC) and, along with his partner Barbara, regularly donned high-vis clothing to take part in voluntary post-match litter picking.
He was also an accomplished climber and mountaineer and was never more animated than when discussing hills or recounting the details of one of his Himalayan adventures.
Those who knew John will remember not simply the depth of his expertise, but the generosity with which he shared it. He was approachable, supportive and extraordinarily generous with his knowledge. If somebody in the sector needed help, John would invariably try to provide it. He did so because he cared about Community Transport, the people delivering it and, ultimately, the passengers whose lives depend upon it. John was someone the sector could rely upon when circumstances became difficult.
We have lost one of the pioneers of our movement, as well as a valued colleague and friend. We will remember John with enormous gratitude and affection, and we will continue the work to which he devoted so much of his life.