News that the Cabinet Office had done a U-turn on restarting tours interrupted an on-line meeting with Transport Minister Baroness Vere. The Zoom meeting saw Richard Bamber of Anthonys Travel – representing RHA Coaches – Alan Acklam, and Emma Hardy MP making the case for the government to support a full return to business for […]
The government has reversed guidance for coach trips which suggested they could be run since this Monday, setting them back until 17 May. The original Safer Transport guidance specifically allowed coaches to be run with “…separate multiple groups which conform to the requirements of the relevant social contact rules.” Now, the Cabinet Office has changed […]
The RHA has released new research into the impact of COVID-19 on unemployment in the UKs top 40 towns and cities with the highest proportion of tourism employees in 2019, including popular coach holiday destinations such as the Lake District, Derbyshire Dales and Devon. Nationally, the number of unemployed people rose by an average of […]
At the coach evidence session for the Transport Select Committee, chaired by Huw Merriman, MPs were told that as many as 40% of coach operators could become insolvent when repayment of CBILS loans begin in June. Three coach operators and Graham Vidler, Chief Executive of the Confederation of Passenger Transport, set out in black and […]
Mellor and Treka Bus parent company Woodall Nicholson has appointed Mark Clissett as Divisional Managing Director of its Bus Division. Mark – the founder of Treka Bus, latterly acquired by Woodall Nicholson – succeeds John Randerson, who takes up the new position of Chief Technology Officer for Woodall Nicholson. John’s newly established Technology Division, ProMech […]
A Derbyshire minibus operator has been left high and dry by the liquidation of Exceed Autocraft last month, with a minibus which won’t reach the legal speed limit. Tony Bott, whose business A & A Minibus is based in South Normanton, bought a VW Crafter-based conversion from Exceed Autocraft in November 2019, and has since […]
Robert Shaw of the Coach Tourism Association talks to Bus and Coach Buyer about the post-lockdown tour ‘bounce’
Pride and Joy is celebrating 20 years in business this month. Jane and I first met when we were enrolled on the Goldman Sachs 10k small business programme. At first I couldn’t quite work out what Leisurewear Direct was about, so I remember asking her about it. Jane Phillips: ‘I was at very frustrating crossroads. […]