Coach services should not be subject to the same regulations that apply to bus, trade body RHA will continue to stress to government — particularly after discussions with the sector at Euro Bus Expo.
Andy Warrender, RHA Coach Operations Manager, heard complaints at the show that coach services are dragged into the costs and regulations of bus “without any of the benefits”, such as Bus Service Operators Grant.
That applied to a “number of areas such as Bus Open Data Service, accessible information, PSVAR to some degree and local service registration”, says Mr Warrender.
With bus franchising likely to become more widespread in the coming years, the fear is yet more regulation will affect some coach services too.
Mr Warrender says that the problem stems from the Transport Act 1985 and its loose definition of a local service. “It was never intended to regulate services that weren’t open to the public — in other words, where you just pitch up at a local bus stop.”
He adds: “The thinking is that coach should have a separate strand of regulatory service.” RHA has had two discussions with the Department for Transport on the issue and another last week with Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood, who “accepts there needs to be a review”.
More widely, RHA says Euro Bus Expo looked set to be positive in terms of increasing membership. Indeed, Mr Warrender would be disappointed if growth of around 6% were not achieved as a result.
He admits that RHA, the Confederation of Passenger Transport and the UK Coach Operators’ Association face a challenge in that only around 20% of coach operators are members of a trade body.
“We’ve got a comprehensive offering and we’re looking to add more value to it every day,” he says, before highlighting the addition last month of legal services in an extension of that previously available to hauliers.
RHA’s National Coach Week is set to return next spring. Regarding the likely push for that, Mr Warrender says: “We’ve got a new government and the industry needs to demonstrate to that government what it does and engage with it in a productive way.
“It will be aimed at educating politicians at all levels about what the industry needs and what it can do differently with cooperation from local and national government.”
