A busy Easter bank holiday weekend and the FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool FC and Manchester City FC at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 16 April has led coach operators to reveal that business is up in March, with strong signs for a good summer season, despite concerns about costs and staff availability.
For Tring-based Masons Minibus and Coach Hire the holiday weekend stood in contrast to April 2021, when England was on the roadmap out of the third national lockdown. A social media post by Business Development Manager Candice Mason declared there was “almost zero work” last year – now this year, every vehicle is out of the yard.
Director James Mason says older groups are still cautious about travel, but enquiries are coming returning strong, while private hire work and educational trips have returned to pre-pandemic levels: “We can’t keep up,” he says.
Extended holidays remain “hit and miss” which is put down to the caution among older customers. “We have spoken to some customers who have still said they are not planning anything for the rest of the year,” adds Mr Mason. “But the private hire work is fully booked up for a lot of days in summer – that is definitely back to pre-pandemic levels.”
The picture is similar for Runcorn-based Anthony’s Travel, though Managing Partner Richard Bamber reveals more positivity when it comes to changing attitudes in his area from older groups.
Crucially, the positive outlook has allowed the business to push rates up to account for rising costs and supply chain issues affecting the industry, allowing the business to turn a profit. The business has also sharpened its focus on certain kinds of work. “I’m wary with some festival work and football work,” he reveals. “We try to be a little bit more selective, to look what’s on offer. On some of the tour company work that has been marketed around, the rates are not worth entertaining at this point.”
with new bookings, the business is quoting at rates which reflect the current price of diesel. Where work has been booked in advance, finances are not always available, particularly among care associations, but Anthony’s Travel has been able to negotiate contracts and where clients elect changes, those contracts reflect current rates.
“On future hires we are quoting higher, and we are getting higher rates,” adds Mr Bamber. “There doesn’t seem to be as many people doing jobs for buttons anymore. It shows that everyone is on the up with prices, which is a product of what is happening in the world. It is happening everywhere else, so why shouldn’t the coach industry also recoup the costs?”
Mr Mason also highlights the need of rate increases to account for the price of fuel. “We’re discussing price increases for our commercially run school transport from September,” he reveals, “and our private hire prices have also increased.”
