Plaxton, as a coach brand, possibly faces a long road back to production should it decide, in 2026, that it wants to build coaches again. Alexander Dennis has already announced the news that, as from this year, coach production in Scarborough has been suspended for two years, for the perfectly sound reason that it has […]
The Campaign for Better Transport’s appeal for better, standardised bus stops deserves to get traction, and not just so that bus stops are functional. The bus infrastructure is creaking at the seams, with any new bus station serving only to shame the others. The country is spending hundreds of millions on installing council control and […]
The panel discussion about the future for coach – covered in our 29 November magazine – proved a worthwhile diversion from the metal on show at Euro Bus Expo. The premise was to ask ‘are we there yet?’ and I think the conclusion was that we aren’t. Where we are is about 20 miles from […]
Dear Louise, I was both glad that you chose to speak up for buses at the Labour Party Conference, and depressed by the narrative. I should background myself first. I was a Labour voter for 45 years and a Labour Party member for 10 of those, and if you were to analyse my DNA, it […]
The disjointed nature of bus planning has, I see, reached a nadir in Devon, where justifiable fears have been raised about the lack of bus services planned for 2,500 new homes. At the same time, the council is saying they cannot afford to subsidise any more bus services, but is being urged to take the […]
‘Draft guidance’ may not seem much to hang your hat on, but in relation to the Labour government’s plans for franchising, it’s a start. First impressions count, and from what I have read in the 56-page document which landed on my desk today (9 September), the runes seem to paint a picture of a government […]
The planned start for the EU’s Entry-Exit System (EES) this winter has all the hallmarks of another pinch point for cross-channel services. The new IT system has already been plagued with delays, but the slated start for the scheme is now 10 November. My concern is that, despite the years we have known about it, […]
The predicament of a swathe of European coach and bus operators who’ve paid deposits for vehicles – including articulated buses for the summer Olympics – now trapped in Van Hool factories in various stages of build or none, has caused predictable concern. Anyone in business knows that, every now and then, you can fall victim […]
The formation of The Coach Travel Group from seven of the coach industry’s heavyweights is only a mild surprise, given the mergers and buy-outs we’ve already seen, notably by Go-Ahead. I suspect it comes after two very good trading years which have been long overdue for the coach industry, though tempered by costs rising at […]
