Glimmers of recognition of the importance of the coach sector are finally emerging among urban planners
A lightbulb is flickering on in various town and city halls. After much hard work and industry pressure, transport policymakers are starting to recognise the importance of coaches. At the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), we often describe coaches as the hidden backbone of public transport – playing a vital role in the UK’s integrated transport system, operating largely without government support.
Coaches offer low-cost travel with a high economic impact – accounting for 450 million journeys a year. Although this is equivalent to 40% of all journeys taken by rail, it’s an impact that has too often been taken for granted by those responsible for transport planning.
For CPT, lobbying on the importance of coach travel is a high priority. At an international level, we know the importance to UK coach operators of seamless cross-border travel with red tape kept to a minimum, and of easy access to cities across Europe – including adequate parking, charging points and terminal access.
That’s why we’ve been working with fellow members of the International Road Transport Union (IRU) to ensure that coach mobility is at the heart of the EU’s upcoming tourism strategy, which is due out in June.
Closer to home, CPT is confident that our call will be heeded for the Department for Transport’s guidance to councils on local transport plans to contain a section on coaches. In short, this means the government will be telling towns and cities to think strategically about coach travel.
Already we’re seeing action. Greater Manchester has a coach section in its transport delivery plan, which is significant given Mayor Andy Burnham’s influence in setting the agenda for transport policy across the north of England. In Merseyside, the Liverpool City Region has featured coaches multiple times in its policy on transport delivery – and has committed to carry out a separate body of work on coach research.
In both of these English city regions, CPT’s regional representatives have worked hard to press the importance of coach – so it’s encouraging to see results. Manchester and Liverpool are looking seriously at both scheduled and tour coach provision. Both are powerhouse destinations with a great deal of pull, and it’s easy to see opportunities for our industry to expand, with support and co-operation from local leaders.
We want to see a similar focus replicated across the country. It ought to be a no-brainer: coach passengers spend £8.3 billion a year in local economies – just a single additional coach a day visiting a town or city can deliver £1 million in annualised benefits.
Some relatively straightforward measures would improve coach provision in cities, including better pick-up and drop-off points, and a default position whereby coaches are permitted to use bus lanes.
Beyond individual urban areas, there’s an opportunity for coaches to improve medium- and long-distance connections. This is an argument with particular resonance in the north of England, where rail can be patchy and funding is scarce for infrastructure upgrades.
Nationwide, there are 54,000 jobs directly employed by the coach industry – many of which are in small- and medium-sized businesses – plus a further 27,000 in the supply chain. A KPMG report for CPT in 2024 found that the industry can be particularly important in areas away from big population centres, including Cornwall, mid-Wales and the Scottish Highlands.
CPT’s successful “Coach Friendly” scheme is a badge of quality for destinations that see the value of coach visitors and can offer appropriate facilities. New locations are regularly granted accreditation – it’s encouraging to see a healthy pipeline, both in major cities and in tourist towns.
It’s not been the easiest 12 months for coaches, saddled with an increase in employers’ National Insurance, changes to inheritance tax for family businesses and rising fuel costs. But it’s great to see signs of political traction.
That lightbulb is flickering on, but we need to switch it on for good. With the right backing, coaches can deliver payback many times over in jobs, visitor spending, prosperity and growth.
