The European Commission’s Mobility Package proposals “provide an unmissable opportunity” to properly address the specific needs of bus and coach operators and to unleash the benefits of boosting the sector, says the IRU, the industry’s European ‘umbrella’ trade body.
It says that because coach and bus services are delivered by people to people, they should be subject to rules tailored to their specific needs. 
Matthias Maedge, who leads IRU’s work in the EU, says: “The posting of drivers, road infrastructure charging, driving and rest time rules are key areas, that require particular attention and specific tailored solutions for coach and bus businesses.”
With current posting of workers rules aimed primarily at the freight sector, IRU advocates the exemption of the vast majority of road passenger transport services, which correspond to fair and traditionally accepted travel practices.
In the second wave of the Mobility Package proposals, the Commission recognises the importance of coach and bus transport and its environmental and social benefits.
It estimates that a 1% increase in coach and bus transport will bring significant benefits for society in terms of reducing CO2 emissions, improving connectivity for disadvantaged social groups, increasing road safety and supporting employment.
Being part of the solution to congestion and cleaner transport, IRU stresses that coach and bus should not be subject to external costs and congestion related taxes.
Coach tourism, which plays a vital role for local tourism industries, is dependent on holiday schedules and behaves very differently from all other road transport activities.
Driving and rest time rules must therefore take into account the specific nature of the sector to allow it to develop and serve people efficiently.
More than 300,000 companies, many of them small businesses, directly employ over 2m people, making the sector highly significant to the European economy and to the sustainable mobility of people. The industry supports millions more jobs indirectly, and provides services to multiple other industries.
Read more:
IRU position paper on the European Commission Mobility Package
Joint European Bus and Coach Industry Declaration
IRU technical documents on the European Commission Mobility package
