In a news bulletin sent to its members, the CPT has confirmed that coach day trips will be able to go ahead before 17 May after all – but only under certain circumstances.
The news follows the confusing announcement from the Cabinet Office last week which suggested that trips could only run before this date for single households and their support bubbles – contradicting the DfT’s Safer Transport guidance.
The official word from the Government now, says the CPT, is that private hire journeys for leisure purposes should not operate before stage three of the Covid roadmap begins on 17 May, though trips for educational purposes, key workers and other non-leisure-related reasons are permitted.
Crucially however, the CPT believes that “coach day trips/excursions which share the characteristics of scheduled services (scheduled timings, pre-arranged drop-off and pick-up points etc) also fit within the guidance and therefore can continue to operate.”
Overall, the message to operators is that day trips can continue if they meet the criteria outlined above, and that the DfT’s Safer Transport guidance should still be adhered to.
