Shadow Bus Minister Visits FlixBus
Travel tech company FlixBus has welcomed Shadow Bus Minister, Simon Lightwood MP, to its UK office to discuss the green and digital future of the industry.
With a general election due before the end of January 2025, Labour’s Shadow Minister
[L to R] Shadow Nus Minister, Simon Lightwood MP and FlixBus MD, Andreas Schorling
has been keen to impress his desire to understand the needs of the coach industry as part of his remit, along with bus, light rail and roads.
Simon Lightwood MP said: “It was fantastic to see the advanced digital platform FlixBus is bringing to the UK and it’s impressive to see how FlixBus uses its technology to offer small and medium operators an opportunity to grow. The company’s rapid growth is supporting the country’s transport system as well as local economies.
“We cannot overlook coach’s fundamentally positive impact on society – with so many people feeling the pressure of the cost-of-living crisis, coach provides an affordable, reliable lifeline for people who want and need to get around.
“Decarbonising the industry is a key priority for me I’m also incredibly impressed FlixBus is forging a path for electric long-distance coaches, piloting the first service in England and Wales next week.”
The Shadow Minister also visited London’s Victoria Coach Station to see FlixBus’s growing network in action, taking time to speak to drivers Phil and Shaun from coach operator partner Rowgate Group.
“We made clear that we want a coach to be allowed a level playing field with other forms of transport” – Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus
Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus, said: “It was a pleasure to speak to the Shadow Minister about our expansion here in the UK as well as provide insights on behalf of Flix as well as our partners, alongside our experience in the 43 markets we operate in. His desire to support a thriving, growing coach industry was clear and we’re grateful he took the time to listen to our perspective.
“We made clear that we want a coach to be allowed a level playing field with other forms of transport, for example, for operators to pay equal fuel duty as UK rail companies. As we build the largest coach network in the country, we are proud to lead the charge and be a voice for our partners and the wider sector.”