February registrations down

According to statistics from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), bus and coach registrations fell 12.1% to 356 units in February, leading to a rolling year total of 7,642, down 4.5%. SMMT Chief Executive, Mike Hawes, said, ‘On a rolling-year basis, performance has been gradually improving since mid-2013. February registrations were down, primarily due to a decline in the purpose built bus and coach sector. However, having begun 2014 slowly, converted buses picked up the pace in February, rising 6.7% for the year-to-date to 431 units and the forthcoming plate change in March should help improve overall performance.’

There were 114 purpose built buses registered in February, down 36.7% compared to the same month in 2013, leading to a rolling year total of 2,786, a 5.8% decline. Purpose built coach registrations numbered 15, down 71.2%, making for a rolling year total of 806, which is up 7.6%. There were 227 converted buses registered in the month, up 31.2%, leading to a rolling year total of 4,050, a 5.7% decline.

Coach and bus registrations by marque for February 2014 (with February 2013’s figures in brackets), are: Volvo Bus 27 (78), ADL 16 (94), Optare 24 (20), Wrightbus 33 (0), VDL18 (1), Scania 1 (25), Setra 7 (0), Neoplan 0 (2), King Long 3 (0), Van Hool 0 (0), Iris Bus 0 (11), Irizar 0 (1), MAN (excluding Neoplan) 0 (0), Mercedes-Benz (excluding Setra) 0 (0) and other imports 0 (0).