Simon Lightwood MP, Minister for Roads and Buses, supported an event at Victoria Coach Station this morning to highlight the role of the coach sector and mark the start of Better Transport Week.
Industry leaders joined the minister at the event, which was hosted by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) two days ahead of what is designated as Better Transport Week’s Coach Day.
Campaign for Better Transport is organising the week’s activities on 15-21 June to celebrate the benefits of sustainable transport such as coaches and buses.
Representatives from Transport for London, National Express, Flibco, FlixBus, Arriva Greenline, and Oxford Tube also paid a visit to the launch at the country’s busiest coach station.
Attendees celebrated the impact of the coach sector in moving millions of people annually, leading to £5.4 billion in tourism spend at UK destinations each year.
Victoria Coach Station itself handles 20 million passenger journeys every year, with National Express operating 9,500 journeys per week to more than 350 destinations and FlixBus operating 711 direct routes across its UK network.
Coach passengers spend £8.3 billion per year in local economies, according to research commissioned by CPT. The mode is responsible for around 450 million passenger journeys annually.
Graham Vidler, CPT Chief Executive, says: “Coach is one of Britain’s great transport success stories and Victoria Coach Station is at the heart of that network.
“Every day, coaches serve people in every part of the country. They provide affordable transport for millions of passengers while supporting businesses, visitor attractions and local economies nationwide.
“As we head into a busy summer of coach travel, Better Transport Week is an important opportunity to celebrate a sector that delivers huge economic, social and environmental benefits for the UK. Longer term, we encourage Local Transport Authorities to work with us to explore how destinations can be made more coach-friendly.”
CPT highlights the impact of the government’s recently published Better Connected strategy for integrated transport, which highlights that local transport authorities need to consider coach travel as part of their transport strategies.
Rafael Fernandez, Managing Director of National Express, says: “For over five decades, National Express has been at the heart of coach travel in Britain, delivering reliable, affordable and high-quality journeys for millions of customers.
“By linking towns, cities and airports, our nationwide network provides vital connections to employment, education and leisure, helping people access opportunities, visit loved ones and explore the country with confidence.
“As we celebrate Better Transport Week, we’re proud of the contribution scheduled coaches make to connecting communities and supporting a public transport system that is accessible, sustainable and works for people across the country.”
Shamil Maindiratta, Managing Director of FlixBus UK, adds: “Our hypergrowth over the last five years reflects the revival of coach as the preferred way to travel in the UK.
“Passengers are increasingly choosing FlixBus not only because it is affordable and reliable, but because the experience is comfortable and modern. We recently celebrated our fifth anniversary, but this is just the beginning: we’re bringing more destinations and frequencies on our network this summer to meet ever-increasing customer demand and to bring people together when it matters most.”
