Scheduled coach services are on the up. That is shown by growth in England, Scotland, and – shortly – in Wales. While traction in smaller towns is modest, trunk routes to larger population centres have the focus of service providers and the interest of customers.
Some of that is down to rail industry industrial action that has no sign of ending. Cost-of-living pressures are a factor. So is marketing that has successfully exposed coach travel to demographics that may not otherwise be a core source of custom.
A question over the expanding provision of scheduled coach services is whether it will endure long-term. Rail disputes will eventually end, and living costs will return to normal.
For an operator, entering the scheduled market with one of the public-facing brands is a big decision. Costs are high, and it may not suit drivers that are better used to more ‘traditional’ coach work.
Meanwhile, national government’s understanding of coach is rising, but the still-obvious interest and knowledge gap must close further before Westminster fully comprehends the sector. It is unlikely that coach can fulfil its true public transport potential until then.
But what is clear from perusing forums that generate comment around scheduled coach travel is that the mode is liked by its users. Such places often attract only negativity. Not here. They are full of positive reports, intertwined with no little surprise that the coach experience proved to be as good as it did.
Scheduled coaching is not for every operator. But its increasing visibility – publicly and politically – benefits the industry as a whole.
