Baroness Vere has issued a letter outlining further derogations to PSVAR. The DfT is to consider applications for temporary exemptions from PSVAR from August 2021 until 31 March 2022 for home to school services. There are plans by DfT officials for medium term exemptions from 1 April 2022. These are to be available to operators […]
Mercedes-Benz Bus and Coach has launched its accessible, PSVAR-specification Tourismo coach at ITT Hub. The 12m Tourismo Access on display at the exhibition has 53 Travel Eco Star seats, centre toilet, heated driver’s seat, air conditioning, coach multimedia system, rear view camera, microphone, refrigerator and OMNIplus ON telematics. Its power comes from the Mercedes-Benz OM936 […]
CoachMarque, the quality assurance scheme, is to go through a makeover, with more marketing of the brand to hirers. At a Zoom meeting with CoachMarque Chair, Roland Eglinton, delegates were told that the scheme has been re-evaluated and, although membership has continued to grow, the main concerns were awareness of CoachMarque among both coach operators […]
Transport Minister, Baroness Vere, visited Masons Coaches in Buckinghamshire to hear how the UK Government can support the coach industry as it emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic. The visit included a coach ride with Mason’s customers, a meet and greet with the operator’s team and a roundtable discussion on how to encourage more coach travel […]
Funding is to be made available to Greater Manchester-registered coaches to help operators upgrade for the region’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ). Greater Manchester has secured over £120m in government funding to support local businesses upgrade to cleaner, compliant vehicles. Coach operators in the area are now eligible for £32,000 towards the replacement of a vehicle. […]
The RHA says that, alongside the CPT and UKCOA, it is urging the Department for Transport to find a solution to the PSVAR situation or risk have a shortage of home-to-school services. “We have urged officials to find solutions to Passenger Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) issues as operators struggle to meet demand for compliant […]
National Express has returned to pre-covid, standard passenger capacity on coach services in England. The operator said the change has been determined as safe following what it describes as an industry-led review with a comprehensive risk assessment including Covid-19 infection numbers and vaccination rates, and consultation with relevant government departments, colleagues and representative bodies. The […]
Stagecoach and open-top brand City Sightseeing have joined forces with Grupo Julià, a specialist in global tourism and mobility services, to launch a new sightseeing service in London, in competition with Big Bus Tours and RATP-owned The Original London Sightseeing Tour. “At a time when the country is re-opening and people are planning day trips […]