As the schools close for summer and companies gear up for autumn, Peter Bradley urges you not to forget the issues needing your attention
Summer is here, the independent schools have just broken up, and the state schools will follow suit shortly.
From speaking to coach operators, this has been another bumper few months of activity, with a few coach operators reporting up to 50% more bookings compared to this time last year. Many companies are gearing up for the autumn which also looks promising.
I am sure that many will be enjoying a well-earned rest. However, once you are back (or perhaps before you go) there are a few issues that you might wish to put to the top
of your virtual in-tray.
Review of PSVAR
This is currently open and closes on 4 September. Coach and bus operators should not ignore this, as plenty of other bodies won’t, and it is vitally important for the Department for Transport to have a balanced view.
This is the one chance for operators to respond citing the challenges of (for example) operating a wheelchair lift on a coach along a country lane with no other infrastructure provided, or running a coach tour with a destination box blocking the view.
To balance it should be a chance for operators to say what they think would work and what could be offered going forward. But don’t ignore it, as this chance won’t happen again for many years.
Join a trade body
If filling in the rather large questionnaire that goes with the PSVAR call for evidence is just going to take too much of your time, then consider joining a trade body and ensure that it understands your viewpoint (and it will respond, in effect, on your behalf, although it will be a balance of all members’ views).
Increasingly, there are many topics emerging (decarbonisation and employment to name just two) where you may need an expert hand to guide you along. It would be churlish of me to compare one with another given my involvement with the UK Coach Operators Association (UKCOA); suffice to say, there is also the Coach Tourism Association, Confederation of Passenger Transport and RHA, as well as UKCOA, all with different offerings and pricing structures to suit the wide range of operators out there.
Browse through their websites, make a couple of phone calls and choose the trade body that you feel is the best fit for you and your business.
Decarbonisation
This is a difficult one, as for many coach operators there is not a solution that fits their current business model. However, if you have not already done so, there are a few bits of information you could gather.
Find out where your nearest electric substation is and have an initial discussion with your supplier as to how practical it would be to run a cable from that location to your depot. Is it as simple as that, or is there a complication in your area?
Are you considering moving or increasing/decreasing your operating footprint? If so, consider the potential electric supply at the same time.
I am not saying that electric is the eventual answer. What I am saying is that by gathering this information you are starting on that road and building up a knowledge base of what might be possible in the future.
I will come up with a few more issues to consider next month.
