Government continues to rule out coach support

In an updated response to an official petition requesting further support for the coach industry, the Government continues to rule out bespoke financial support.

The response went on to outline the range of existing measures designed to support companies impacted by Covid-19, including the Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), tax deferrals, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

The statement said: “Given the support already put in place, as outlined above, the Government at this time has no plans to provide additional financial support bespoke to the coach industry.”

It also mentioned the School Restart funding that has provided local transport authorities with more than £40 million funding for the autumn term to create extra capacity, while social distancing measures remain in place.

The statement continued: “The Government continues to work closely with the coach sector to understand what the ongoing risks and issues are, and how these could be addressed, and we are reviewing opportunities for the sector to assist in wider recovery and resilience work. Government also recognises the role of the coach sector and the services it provides as a sub-sector of the leisure and tourism industry.”

At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in parliament. At the time of writing, the petition currently stands at over 17,500 signatures.

• The updated response to the petition was made after a bespoke package to provide financial assistance for Northern Ireland’s bus and coach sectors will be brought forward by the country’s government.