Well, that was August. Been and gone quicker than it takes to receive a fine for neglecting to pay the toll on the new Mersey Gateway Bridge in Runcorn.
It was a typical beginning to September for us. New home-to-school contracts including software to check on pupil entitlement to travel and the duplication of some oversubscribed runs, the forthcoming holiday brochure being prepared, and an incredibly positive start on bookings for the rest of 2024.
So all in all, a good start to the new school year. So much so that I suspect I am going to have to up-seat something and buy an extra vehicle. Another coach is something I promised myself I would not do. Our yard is probably at near capacity, and we provide an awful lot of parking for customers as well.
I am lucky with our driving team, but I do not take that for granted. An extra coach means an extra driver, and having had my fingers burnt before, in many ways it is easier not to increase the fleet (and consequently dilute the quality of service we offer) because I cannot get someone who meets our standards to drive the additional vehicle.
The question, of course, is where would I buy that vehicle? Typically, we purchase new, but I need something now, not in the summer of 2025. I could have been run over by one of my old coaches by then.
Consequently, the price of used coaches is astronomical, and while demand exceeds supply, I cannot see it changing any time soon. And although needs must, I cannot bring myself to pay massively over the odds, either.
An operator local to me ‘upgraded’ one of its older touring coaches. New seats, paint job, and a general all-round tidy-up. It looks amazing, but it is still a seven-year-old coach, no matter how clever the private plate is. I can still see the attraction of doing that, though.
Feedback on my new PSVAR compliant touring coach has often not been favourable, either. The vehicle itself is fine, but the lack of a sloping floor, reduced legroom, an extra pillar for the additional door, and destination displays that block the view, has caused no end of issues with our holiday clients.
No matter how many times I say this is how it is now, that does not make it any better. I know other operators that have experienced the same difficulties, but we all have different makes and models of vehicles – so I cannot just buy a different type of coach to solve the problem.
But then, I always see September as a new start. It feels to me like the beginning of the coaching year, and it inevitably brings fresh challenges. So if anyone has a non-PSVAR touring coach that is less than three years old, and doesn’t want north of £225,000 for it, please give the Editor a call.
Happy new coaching year.
