How do you choose your suppliers? Is it based on price, quality of service, hours of support, location, customer service, cost of ownership? Perhaps it’s simply a long-standing relationship that works well for you.
Depending on your location you may have plenty of choice, or maybe little. It’s especially the case for smaller firms in remote regions where maintenance is contracted out.
For the major investment in your business – i.e. vehicles – in theory there is plenty of choice, especially if, as a coach operator, you’re looking for a ‘standard 49/51’ workhorse, either new or secondhand.
Despite the limitations of the UK and Ireland’s relatively small new retail coach market (around 400 vehicles a year) the choice is far wider than one might expect, despite some tantalising continental ‘goodies’ available only in left-hand drive.
Despite this, we’re aware that in coming months at least four new vehicle launches are planned which will be of interest to coach operators. Given that in the past vehicle introductions have come alongside changes in Euro standards, this might be a surprise. We await them with interest.
If you’re not fortunate enough to be invited to a launch, then you can rest assured that we’ll be covering them in full in the magazine.
Naturally, this year’s UK domestic trade show – Coach & Bus UK – will be the place to see all the significant current products.
The good news is that online registration has now opened – visit www.coachandbusuk.co.uk – and once you’ve signed up, you’ll receive regular updates about what’s happening. It promises to be an exciting summer and autumn.
