FUEL CRISIS: Coach operator goes live on BBC

Coach operator Richard Bamber, of Anthony’s Travel, was featured this week on the BBC’s Politics Live explaining how the fuel crisis could cripple businesses.

The Runcorn operator explained to BBC Political Correspondent, Alex Forsyth, how contracted operations now faced fixed incomes with rapidly-escalating fuel costs which, he said, would be unsustainable. He said that a fuel delivery in January was at £1.15 a litre, but now would £1.55 -ma £6,000 per delivery increase.

“Some of the hires we took in good faith are now running for break-even or even at a loss,” he said, adding that many groups could not afford an uplift. He said that, unlike buses, coaches do not get the fuel subsidy, BSOG, and that the VAT relief proposed by one of the programme’s panellists is of no use to business.

Richard said that he backs the two-pronged relief recommended by RHA Coaches: “We would like to see a 15p per litre essential user rebate for vans, haulage and coaches. We would also like to see a duty cut. Going forward as a country, we’ve got to become more self-sustainable and not too reliant on other countries.”

To see the full programme, go to https://tinyurl.com/ybzccpjl