Driver training specialist HGVC has expanded its offering to the coach and bus market with the recruitment of 16 additional PCV instructors over the past year, a fourfold increase in its number of full-time instructors, with plans to welcome a further eight before the end of the year. HGVC has also doubled the number of training vehicles it owns, following the purchase of four single-decker ADL Enviro200s this year, building upon its existing fleet of single- and double-decker vehicles.
HGVC offers category D and D1 training courses for operators across the UK, at more than 100 locations nationwide, or by installing instructors and vehicles to train at client sites. The company says it has trained over 170 PCV drivers since the beginning of 2023, and has seen a significant growth in demand for training as bus and coach companies continues to grapple with a long term driver shortage that has affected services up and down the UK.
CEO of HGVC James Clifford said: “We’ve seen huge demand from bus and coach operators this year. We employ 21 full-time instructors but there’s no limit to the number of instructors we’d be willing to recruit to service existing or prospective contracts.
“Bus companies across the UK provide a vital service and can often be the only form of transport for some communities. From speaking to our bus company customers, we know that demand for bus services continues to grow. So, getting more efficient and cost-effective support in place is vital for these companies to be able to meet future demand.
“HGVC is offering a range of services that haven’t been offered before to this market, including third party instructors, and overflow vehicles to expand training capacity. We’ve even acquired our own vehicles to support this strategy.”