December 18 2020
Following last week’s debate in Westminster over 230 coach operators have signed a letter to Transport Minister Rachel Maclean urging her to support the coach sector with a series of tailored measures.
The letter, coordinated by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), warns Ms Maclean that if the coach sector fails then there will be wider impacts on the country’s economic, social and environmental recovery from Covid-19. It highlights that while measures such as the furlough scheme have been welcomed, other forms of financial support have been limited and inaccessible for some operators.
Despite this coach operators have still played a critical role to keep the country moving throughout the pandemic, providing dedicated home to school services and emergency transport.
Commenting, CPT’s Chief Executive Graham Vidler said: “MPs from across the country took part in last week’s debate and showed they had a clear understanding of how vital the coach industry is. The Minister recognised this too and now we need her support to make the case for a series of tailored measures, to help this industry that has been devastated by the pandemic.”
The tailored measures called for include:
· Facilitating the extension of finance holidays
· Making sure the coach sector is eligible for payments made to leisure and tourism businesses
· Topping up home to school payments
· An aid to trade scheme
Graham Vidler continued: “Demand for travel has not disappeared permanently but has been suppressed temporarily. Providing tailored measures to support the coach sector is an investment in our economic and environmental recovery from the pandemic.”
A copy of the signed letter can be found here.