January 01 0001

  • CPT joins forces with UK Coach Operators Association to create a new voice speaking up for coach operators 
  • Coach UK will be part of CPT and will have more than 500 coach members operating 10,000 vehicles 
  • Coach UK will be run by coach operators, for coach operators and will fight for coach-friendly policies including affordable fuel 
  • Launch takes place at an exciting time as local authorities get new government guidance to promote coach travel 

A new voice for Britain’s coach operators, Coach UK, has been launched today to bring together the coach travel industry. 

CPT and UKCOA are joining forces to create a brand new body, Coach UK, which will lead the way in raising the profile and influence of the sector, deepening the community of coach operators and campaigning to make Britain more coach friendly. The united body will be part of CPT, and it will represent over 500 coach businesses operating more than 10,000 vehicles nationwide. 

Coach UK will be run by coach operators, for coach operators. It will bring the industry together to create a stronger, deeper community, supporting coach operators and providing practical advice. 

Most coach operators are small or medium sized local businesses and about 85% of these are family owned. The industry employs 54,000 people, plus a further 27,000 jobs in its supply chain. These jobs generate £6.4 billion of economic activity each year. 

Coach UK will raise the influence and profile of operators providing travel of all kinds – including scheduled, school travel, tourism, international and local journeys. It will support the industry as operators grapple with rising costs, regulation and decarbonisation.  

Kathryn Pulham, President of CPT, said: “This is an exciting moment for the coach industry. Coach UK brings together dynamic, entrepreneurial businesses from across the country to create a single, united voice. 

“Coaches are a hidden backbone of passenger transport, delivering vital connections between communities. Coach UK will stand up for the interests of operators and we will fight for our members with energy, purpose and ambition.” 

The coach industry has faced a number of challenges in recent years including an increase in the price of fuel, slow economic growth and higher taxes on employment. But the industry is at an exciting moment following official backing by the Government. 

In April, a new national transport strategy, Better Connected, recognised the importance of coaches. For the first time, the Government instructed every English local authority to consider ways to grow coach travel, and to make proper provision for coach visitors. 

Stephen Telling, President of the UK Coach Operators Association, said: “We live in challenging times, and the coach industry needs a strong advocate. By bringing the UKCOA and the CPT’S coaching arm together we create an association that will be agile and respond to those challenges as they arise. There has never been a better time for coach operators across the UK to join a trade body and Coach UK is the ideal solution for them.” 

Priorities for Coach UK include tackling fuel costs, keeping regulation at a proportionate level and pushing for a roadmap to decarbonisation of the industry. The trade body will push for improved coach facilities in towns, cities and tourist destinations, building on CPT’s Coach Friendly accreditation scheme. Coach UK will represent the industry in discussion with local, regional, devolved and national governments.  

Coaches provide 450 million journeys a year in Britain – equivalent to 40% of all journeys taken by rail. Every day, 600,000 children go to school by coach. A study by KPMG in 2024 found that visitors arriving by coach spend £8.3 billion a year in towns, cities and tourist attractions. 

Coach UK will be represented at Euro Bus Expo Show in Birmingham from November 3rd to 5th.