It still blows my mind how obstructive the behaviours are in the governmental powers controlling the coach parking and drop-off arrangements at Bourton-on-the-Water.
Having read all the articles and having had first-hand experience of how hostile it was at the old car park, it really is time for a decision to be made in favour of our industry.
I had previously said that coach tourism and the bus industry are two of the most flexible and yielding sectors in the world, and they are.
We constantly bend and flex to every want, demand and desire, whether from government or passengers.
I suppose that is why we succeed and have done for so long — a good example being how drivers manage busy slots for pickups in difficult locations as already mentioned.
But it leaves me with a bitter taste in my mouth for the following reasons:
- We already have a perfect location in the old car park for drop-off arrangements with parking in Bourton
- Drivers are more than willing to keep to a 10-minute running limit even on hot days for air conditioning needs
- Operators are willing to pay and book slots.
My personal experience was extremely unpleasant when I requested the flexibility our business always shows be extended to me.
Worse still, the toxic atmosphere has spread to some other areas such as Burford (which I admit is very difficult) so that now there is talk of another prohibition in the Cotswolds.
Enough already! Drivers in our industry have demonstrated more skill in diplomacy and flexibility than in any other industry I have ever worked in, including emergency, medicine, youth and community work, engineering, and the power industry, to name a few.
It is unique in the sense that we are publicly accountable everywhere we go, and it never lets up.
There is only so much of that pressure a driver can take, and it creates a massive psychological and mental pressure as you anticipate what hostility you may encounter at the next stop — although I have to add that the hospitality shown by Moreton-in-Marsh recently has been a wonderful, refreshing experience.
Cotswold District Council and Gloucestershire County Council need to grow up. Use the space already there, and police it if necessary. They will find that most coach drivers can do miracles when it comes to being flexible and working round very complicated rules.
Adrian Penfold-Ivany,
Liverpool
