The government is likely to issue a call for evidence as it seeks views on setting an end date for the sale of new diesel-fuelled coaches, Under-Secretary of State for Transport Baroness Vere told the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) Bus and Coach Conference in her keynote address on 25 January.
Lady Vere assured delegates that ministers understand coaches are “slightly different” to buses when it comes to transitioning to zero-emission, and that they recognise challenges that exist in the coach sector.
So far there is no potential date “in anyone’s mind” for the sale of new diesel coach models to end. “We have really got to think about what the challenges are and potentially address some [of them] before we then go on to think about what the date might be,” Lady Vere says. She adds that the call for evidence for will recognise the different landscape in the coach sector to buses.
News of the call for evidence has been welcomed by Ian Luckett, who chairs CPT’s Zero Emission Coach Taskforce. Part of its remit is to develop an evidence base for the hurdles involved with the transition to zero-emission in the segment. The Taskforce’s first phase will deliver a report that sets out the barriers to decarbonisation of coaches in the UK.
Engagement with the industry when looking towards the shift away from diesel in coaches will be “absolutely key,” Lady Vere adds. That work must consider where the market is going and what the costs and benefits invoked by the change may be.
In other comments relating to coaches, Lady Vere again referred to PSVAR. She says that the issue has “a never-ending balance” between making sure that coach travel is “inclusive and for everyone” and the costs and availability of suitable conversions of existing vehicles. She also underlined the existing commitment to carry out a review of PSVAR by the end of 2023.
