The oil price crisis created by conflict in the Middle East rumbles on. No obvious end is in sight. But words from Donald Trump suggest that a solution one way or another is a growing political imperative. What happens then is still to be seen, but the eyes of the coach and bus industry will remain on fuel costs.
One small operator in Lancashire gives an indication of the impact the rise so far has had. For local bus services alone, its diesel bill is around £4,000 per week more than before the war.
Connections around the wider economy show that in other fields, a fuel escalator has been accepted and understood by customers; businesses that rely on diesel are not charities, and that has been acknowledged.
While similar surcharges have been aired for ‘private’ coach work, a local authority (LA) may be a tougher nut to crack in that respect. But the ‘business not charity’ argument is equally valid there. Will LAs be balance not offering a temporary rate uplift against the alternative of contracts potentially being returned and retendered based on current costs?
A difficult aspect of the current crisis is its unpredictability. While likelihood of a sudden resolution seems to be modest, scope for a rapid change is still present. Things could then return to normal quickly. Equally, they could drag on, although the United States and its leader clearly hope fervently that does not happen.
Against what is undoubtedly a difficult backdrop at present, much of the industry still has reason aplenty for positivity. That is illustrated by momentum around Euro Bus Expo and the routeone Awards. Both return in November, the former on a two-yearly cycle and the latter building upon a 2025 presentation evening that cemented its position.
For Euro Bus Expo, vehicle manufacturer and dealer commitment is strong, complementing the same from exhibitors in the service, product and support fields. Hints of new models making their debuts in November are increasingly heavy. Some names in the vehicle field will make their first UK trade show appearance at the NEC in seven months’ time.
What of the routeone Awards this year? The list of supporters and partners is as broad as ever. Nominations have flowed. News on the judging panel is due over the coming weeks. The entry period is almost here.
The Awards are the only recognition scheme in domestic coach and bus. They stand up for the sector and show how much good it does. Past winners’ rosters have brought tangible benefits to careers and businesses.
But it all starts with a nomination. As of Wednesday 1 April, little time remains for suppliers, and in people categories the entrant themselves, to put names forward. With no nomination, there can be no victory under the spotlights on 4 November.
Of present circumstances, the old proverb tell us that this, too, will pass. Coach and bus has weathered many previous storms. That is one of the sector’s strengths – of the like that many of its members will come together to celebrate at the routeone Awards this autumn.
If a potential winner’s name is not on the nominations list, move quickly. All submissions can be made via the Awards website.
