A spate of vandalism incidents is a reminder to operators of the need to protect their fleet, writes Simon Ingham, Commercial Manager of Edwards Coaches
We recently hosted the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s South West regional meeting in our Avonmouth depot.
One operator in attendance was recently subject to severe vandalism. They spoke about the outpouring of support from the community following the incident, which rendered many of their fleet off-road for a prolonged period.
Valiantly, they declined offers of a JustGiving page being set up to help them get back on their feet. They praised the support from others in the industry who loaned vehicles to enable business continuity.
They also spoke about the trouble of finding replacement parts for unique and rarer vehicles in the fleet – some are still in need of these for repair.
It was noticeable that they were truly upset and hurt at the damage to their property. Wouldn’t you be?
More recently, news has broken about three depot fires in which vehicles and/or premises have been damaged.
In May, Maxfields Executive Travel, a small, family-run operator in Aughton, Rotherham, lost three coaches and an outbuilding in a garage fire.
In Linford, Essex, in June, a large-scale blaze in a vehicle storage area destroyed approximately 36 double-decker buses.
Soon afterwards in Aberaman, South Wales, around 10 coaches were severely damaged or gutted at Keepings Coaches on the Gasworks Road Industrial Estate.
This is truly devastating for an industry where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain profits even without such events happening.
Unfortunately, I don’t think any well-established operator has escaped vandalism of some kind or fire over the course of their existence – from damage to vehicle interiors such as slashed seats, to fittings being ripped apart by customers, to smashed glass, graffiti and fuel theft.
Devastation caused by fire on this great scale, though, is saddening and severely disrupts the operation of companies, heightened at this time of the year when operators maximise “making hay while the sun shines”.
Vehicle and property damage or loss comes at such a great expense to operators, as with any business. In some cases, incidents could render continuing operations impossible.
This, of course, has a serious knock-on impact on those intending to travel, whether it be school children, private parties or otherwise.
All coach and bus companies should remain vigilant in maintaining the safety and security of their depots, particularly in light of recent incidents involving depot fires and acts of vandalism.
Effective security measures, including robust perimeter fencing, controlled access, CCTV surveillance, adequate lighting, regular security patrols, and prompt reporting of suspicious activity are essential to reducing the risk of deliberate damage or unauthorised access.
Fire prevention measures should also be reviewed regularly, ensuring that combustible materials are stored safely, ignition sources are controlled, and emergency response procedures are up to date.
Staff should be encouraged to remain alert, challenge unfamiliar individuals where appropriate, and report any concerns immediately.
Although this is not an exhaustive list of precautions, coach operators can help protect their employees, vehicles, infrastructure and business continuity from such incidents by taking such steps.
While there is no doubt that those subject to recent attacks would back me on this, I’m not implying by any means that their security protocols were lacking or otherwise. I’m merely raising awareness to help prevent similar incidents elsewhere.
