April 24 2020
CPT’s Coaching Manager Andy Warrender writes CPT’s latest blog post, a recap of the Back Britain’s Coaches campaign so far.
Back Britain’s Coaches was launched just over one week ago, and I’m really pleased that there has been so much support for the campaign that we created in collaboration with UK coach operators, with the aim of securing financial support for the coach industry during the coronavirus crisis and raising awareness of the many vital roles coach plays in keeping the UK moving.
It’s great to see that on Twitter CPT’s followers have been using specially created Twitter images and an official campaign hashtag to help raise awareness of the work we are doing, and our coverage in the trade press has helped us spread the word even further. The CPT team continue to work hard behind the scenes too, to secure support for the 2,500 coach operators in the UK and the 42,000 people they employ. I’d like to say a big thank you to all the operators who provided us with data to help make the case for coach, and let you know that we are in the process of looking at the data to best work out how to put the case for a support package for coach to government.
There are still challenges to overcome. We suffered an unexpected setback earlier in the week when the UK Government announced that they would not support the view that coach operators should be eligible to access the support package for leisure businesses despite the coach industry bringing approximately £6 billion to the economy each year through tourism. This was disappointing news, but the CPT team will continue working with the Local Government Association to understand why this decision has been made, and try to have it reversed. We have also raised the issue directly with Transport Minister Baroness Vere but you can help too. In the campaign resource centre on our website there is a template letter that you can send to your local MP, bringing their attention to this decision so that they can raise the issue with Government on your behalf. You can find the template letter here. Please do send the letter as the more MPs hear about the issue the more it will force the Government to look again at this issue.
I urge everyone to continue supporting Back Britain’s Coaches, through social media and using content in the resource centre on CPT’s website. I promise you that CPT will continue working on behalf of the industry to make sure the industry’s voice is heard, with the aim to secure support so that once this crisis is over we can work to getting coaches back on the roads. Members should look out for regular email updates from CPT that get sent straight to their inboxes, however if you’re not receiving them send an email to membership@cpt-uk.org.