Busy coach operators can ensure that their views on London’s many challenges are heard by the powers that be, by joining the LTCOA
With a beast of a city like London, large-scale changes are nearly impossible. Especially when you’re looking at it from a coach tourism perspective – a vitally important industry, but one which barely registers with the powers that be.
But, little details can often make all the difference – and that’s what the London Tourist Coach Operators Association (LTCOA) is good at.
Meeting every member
One recent change to the membership organisation is the recruitment of Peter Bradley as Director of Administration and Development. Peter previously worked for Transport for London (TfL), so is well-versed in coach operators’ problems in the capital, and has a good working relationship with TfL already.
“He brings tremendous experience to our cause,” says Stephen Telling, Chairman of the LTCOA. “He has got some learning to do on our side of the industry, and he’s fully taken it on board.”
In his first few months, Peter is going out to meet every member of the LTCOA, in person at their depot, to get a full understanding of each member’s business and their needs.
He’s also meeting prospective members, in a member recruitment drive that sees all coach operators who go to London invited to an open evening on 24 April.
The LTCOA is for any operator that runs coaches into London, and as a trade body with a specific focus on the capital, it means there’s an extra voice to be heard from the industry when air quality, coach parking and use of road space are high on the political agenda.
Says Stephen: “As an operator, running a business and making a profit is a full-time job. To be a member of a trade organisation means you can get information and advice you need, and share best practice – and make sure your interests are represented.
“The fact that there are other trade organisations saying the same thing means it comes from more than one voice.”
Building on relationships
Peter’s other major role is to develop the LTCOA’s relationships with other bodies and authorities – including TfL, London Boroughs, the Confederation of Passenger Transport, the Freight Transport Association, the Society of London Theatres, airports and more – to improve coach operators’ lot in London.
“I want to push coaches onto local authorities’ agenda,” he says, “and work with them to see if there’s anything we can do to make life easier for members.
“It’s about helping them professionally to make running coaches to, from and within London a more pleasurable experience.
“Sometimes it’s just a case of making LAs a bit more thoughtful, and coming up with a good compromise.”
These are the ‘small things’ that LTCOA is good at: Talking to boroughs and raising their awareness of coach operators’ difficulties, such as dropping off outside regional theatres.
Peter also wants better industry research. Going forward, and building on the CPT’s recent survey, ‘Benefits of Coach Tourism to the London Economy’, the LTCOA will be pushing for regular surveys that can assess exactly how many tourists are delivered into London by coach, and what coaches are really worth to the economy – but also giving a full picture of the industry.
Fight for kerb space
Peter and Stephen believe that the difficulty of driving coaches in London may be one of the things that puts younger drivers off joining the industry.
“If we can make it easier, and more professional, the industry should be able to attract more coach drivers,” says Stephen.
Technology may be the answer. One idea is to work with TfL to launch an interactive online version of the Coach Parking Map, which would show drivers which parking bays are free in real time.
Another goal LTCOA is pursuing is more mixed-use bays – not just targeting spaces used by delivery lorries, but also spaces that are taken up by taxis in peak times, and emptier during the day.
“Kerb space in London won’t increase,” says Stephen, adding that London’s population is expected to grow to over 10 million by 2031. “If we don’t have engagement with key stakeholders, we could lose what we already have.”
Peter adds: “Road space needs to be re-allocated for different users, for optimum use – and technology can help with that.”
New kinds of traffic
Joining the LTCOA is an opportunity to ensure your voice is heard in the fight for London’s road space. There are more demands on that space than ever before, and they come from different places: Uber and other private hire cars; the ‘white van brigade’ delivering thousands of packages bought online every day; and Cycle Superhighways.
The organisation offers regular meetings, monthly newsletters, an annual dinner and dance, and industry research.
But its most valuable service is that it allows the voice of frustrated coach operators to be heard by the people dealing with London’s myriad problems: Congestion, air quality, parking, cyclists, terrorism and Brexit. With face-to-face meetings, letters on behalf of its members, and detailed answers to consultations, it helps to ensure that people who might never have given the industry a thought are understanding of coach operators, and much more likely to take them into consideration.
“I would think that most operators in their day-to-day job just don’t have time to respond to consultations,” says Peter.
“It’s so important to have trade organisations. By being a member, you can rest assured your voice will be heard.”
