High-value, nearly new tour coaches will potentially sit idle for “at least 15 months” as a result of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic despite commencement of a vaccination programme, coach operator Dave Parry has told his MP when adding further weight to the call for sector-specific government support.
Mr Parry, owner of Cheslyn Hay-based Parrys International, wrote to South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson on 29 November. Mr Parry has sent several previous letters to Mr Williamson. While they have been passed on to the respective department, ministers “then send a standard reply,” says Mr Parry.
Other operators have highlighted on multiple occasions that a ‘cut and paste’ approach had been adopted by some MPs and ministers when responding to their concerns.
Mr Parry adds that when restrictions were first introduced in March, his business had “hardly worked two months of our quiet season.” Parrys then ran around 15% of its scheduled departures between August and November. As Staffordshire is now in tier 3 of England’s restrictions pyramid, there is no sign when it may be able to resume tours.
“Some of our coaches will not move with passengers aboard for at least 15 months,” Mr Parry told Mr Williamson. “A company cannot survive under these circumstances. While loans are very helpful, they do not make up for our over £1m loss so far this year.”
Parrys has received £800,000 through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. It has also utilised the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS).
But Mr Parry believes that sectors that have been hit particularly hard, such as the arts, hospitality, leisure, sport and travel, should benefit from an enhanced level of support.
Extension of CJRS to 31 March 2021 has allowed Parrys to retain more drivers than it might otherwise have. But Mr Parry remains concerned that not all staff will return to the industry after such a prolonged lay-off. He expects that Parrys’ tours will not restart until February or March 2021 “if we are lucky.”
Additionally, Mr Parry says that further costs will be incurred should the post-Brexit transition period conclude with no EU-UK trade agreement. Parrys currently has two coaches in Belgium awaiting delivery. They will attract a tariff on an already paid sum of £950,000 if no deal is reached by the end of this month.
