ABOUT US | ptas

About the PTAS

The Public Transport Appreciation Society was formed in 2001 by travel enthusiasts Dudley Morris, Olive Wainright and the late Richard Wilks (1948 - 2009). Since then, the PTAS has been tirelessly talking to commuters and campaigning for better public transport facilities and a greater appreciation of the facilities on offer. Their motto - Making Travelling Better - stems from a deep desire to make travelling (specifically on public transport) better.

In 2013, Dudley and Olive were awarded £150 from the Get Britain Moving fund and spent it on PTAS badges and this website.

Through their unfaltering commitment to travelling on public transport in their hometown of Exeter, the PTAS decided to launch their first UK Roadshow in the city in September 2013. Fortuitously coinciding with the City Council's Unexpected Festival, the PTAS are very excited about being part of such a fun and zany looking festival. Unfortunately, due to the hot summer, plans for the tour have been set back somewhat and currently only has Exeter as a destination. We are working hard to change this and add more dates and destinations. We will be launching a crowdfunding campaign soon to try and raise money for the excessive train fares being touted in this alarming day and age.

Olive Wainwright has a special affinity to buses having been born on the backseat of a Devon General Albion Nimbus. Her father, Albert, the driver, had insisted that his wife Joyce, stayed close to him on his route, for the two weeks before Olive was born, so that in the case of emergency he would be able to drop her off at the Maternity Hospital in Heavitree Road - one of the stops on his regular route. Olive decided to make an early and very swift appearance and ended up being delivered at the top of Heavitree High street to the amazement and shock of the regular passengers. Olive is married to Derek, also an avid member of PTAS. Derek prefers trains.

Wendy Kemble lives in Woodbury. She is a professional hospital visitor, helping make patients days ‘a little bit brighter’. Her love for public transport developed from an early age; her father was a bus driver for the City Bus service and he subsequently went on to become an Inspector for Devon General. She is a prolific collector of transport trivia and has kept every one of her bus and train tickets from the past twenty years.

St John Bamber, grandson of the famous bus designer 'Biffa' Bamber. St John writes transport themed period set mystery novels such as 'Murder On The 10am From Chingford', 'The Last Conductor', 'Wink For Takeoff' and the hugely popular childrens series 'Totty The Tram Investigates'

The Roadshow Team:

Dudley Morris was only 18 when he and Olive formed the PTAS. His father, a keen train spotter and vintage bus enthusiast was sadly killed during a scuffle on a London bus between a bus conductor and disgruntled passenger when Dudley was a boy. Moving to Exeter with his Mother, he spent most of his youth avoiding public transport at all costs. It wasn't until a chance encounter with Olive at a bus stop in Exwick that Dudley's perception shifted and he decided to dedicate his life to promoting fair and friendly travel. Dudley's work as a travel consultant has taken him across the globe where he has built up an extensive knowledge of international transport systems.