There are few sectors that are as people-focused as coach and bus, so one of the key topics for discussion with the new UK government over the coming weeks will be the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s (CPT) manifesto ask around a workforce strategy.
In particular, we will be pressing ministers to take forward the driver licensing proposals which the last government consulted on.
With so much going on, it’s worth remembering that our two key requests around driver licensing were to enable trainees to progress with the off-road modules of their driving test while they wait for their provisional licence, and to provide greater flexibility for 18- and 19-year-olds — in effect removing the current restriction that limits them to regular services under 50km.
While hard work and operational adjustments mean that many operators are no longer suffering a significant driver shortage, we believe the legislative changes that we asked for are still crucial to the future of the industry.
There are multiple reasons for this — not just to help with the shortages that still exist in some areas, but also to support the industry in future recruitment, tackle underlying issues that affect the sector’s ability to recruit staff, and to encourage more young people into the sector, as I know many of you want to do.
The last government responded to CPT’s call for change and, on 11 April this year, it opened a consultation relating to the two key points where our members had asked for more flexibility.
The consultation ran until 5 June but, while it was live, Rishi Sunak called the general election and, of course, we now have a new government.
As you might expect, CPT has already engaged with the new administration, to build on the relationships we developed while the Labour Party was in opposition.
We are highlighting the need for the new government to take forward the changes we asked for without delay, to support the coach and bus industry in its continued recovery.
We are highlighting the need for the new government to take forward the changes we asked for without delay – Keith McNally
CPT’s comprehensive response to the consultation brought together a wealth of evidence in support of the proposals and made a strong case for full flexibility for 18- and 19-year-olds.
Data to back up our calls is key, so it is worth mentioning that we recently closed our 10th bus and coach driver shortage survey. The data we hold shows that, although things are better than they were, this problem is not solved.
Another area where a data-led approach is bearing fruit is the latest edition of the CPT Cost Monitor.
Most readers will know that we operated a cost index for many years until changes in the volume of coach and bus operations during COVID-19 meant this index could not continue.
As we moved out of the pandemic, CPT developed a new monitor that, not only replaced the index, but provides us, and contributors, with excellent new data.
We recently published the fourth report, using data contributed by operators with a peak vehicle requirement of 21,000 (so highly representative).
This breaks down industry costs, examines operating costs per hour and kilometer, analyses movements over time and presents a range of KPIs covering service provision, fleet utilisation, fuel consumption, and staff productivity.
As you might expect, the results are being used by operators to benchmark their operations, as well as by the CPT team as important inputs for several responses to government consultations.
The detailed versions of the reports with the more operationally-useful data, including a wealth of information set out across 48 pages of analysis with many tables and charts to make it easily digestible, are only available to contributors and the CPT team, but everyone can view the summary reports on the CPT website and I’d encourage everyone to take a look.
