Happy New Year. I tend to be an optimistic person and hope that, despite all that is going on around us, there are a lot of positives, with operators, manufacturers and other suppliers continuing to recover from the pandemic and reinvesting in their businesses. I really hope it goes well for you.
So, what are the key issues that we will face in 2024? Well, most importantly we will have elections, both local and national. The local elections will take place on Thursday 2 May with many district authorities, unitary authorities and metropolitan districts electing some or all of their councillors. In addition, there will be combined authority elections for Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, Tees Valley, and the West Midlands, together with the Greater London Authority Mayoral and Assembly elections.
Sadly, I think these elections get overlooked with, in some cases, very low turnouts. However, the power that can be handed to councillors and mayors are significant. What is going on in your area, and who do you need to converse with to put your point of view across? This is a good opportunity to talk to a prospective candidate about zero-emission vehicles and the challenges of obtaining the relevant power supply, for example.
Then, we move on to the 2024 general election. We know this is going to happen, but we don’t know when. If Rishi Sunak decides to go earlier in the year, it could end up on the same day as the local elections. That often has a significant impact on local elections as they tend to have a much higher turnout and a few upsets as a result.
Whatever happens, as we get closer to both local and general elections, policy will concentrate on the immediate issues that are likely to win them (or not). It could delay announcements on many of the recent calls for evidence that the coach industry has been busy with in 2023, such as on PSVAR and on infrastructure for zero-emission vehicles, to name just two.
Some more general discussions with the Department for Transport, especially if they involve a minister, may get delayed too.
We may get a hint of the timescales for elections from the Spring Budget on 6 March (which from my calculations would just allow enough time for a general election to be called on 2 May) but there are probably many other factors at play too.
Moving onto other issues, the demand for travel by coach and bookings for private hire will, I believe, continue to be buoyant, certainly as cost-of-living issues continue. However, 2023 saw more people venture abroad for the first time since the pandemic and I just wonder if that might see a slight drop in the number of domestic holidays this year.
A colleague reported that in Cornwall, for example, some long established cafes and shops in coastal villages shut for good last year; was that due to the cost of living crisis, or more trips abroad (or a combination of both)? Was this a blip or an unwelcome trend? And will it have an impact on the package holiday market?
Another issue we must continue to tackle in 2024 is recruitment and retention of drivers. Initiatives such as Women in Bus and Coach, wages, flexibility, benefits, and facilities must all play their part, otherwise some operators could find themselves unable to meet all their commitments.
The new year has dawned; let’s be prepared and meet these challenges head on.
