As part of National Coach Week, Morag Milligan, director of Ayrshire-based family operator Milligan’s Travel, received a visit from Alan Brown MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, and RHA Area Manager Martin Bell, at which she told the Scottish MP about about how Edinburgh City Council’s fines are damaging to the industry. The meeting was arranged to discuss the issues coach operators are facing and how the RHA Coaches manifesto can help curtail those problems.
Also discussed during the meeting was the 28-day tachograph rule for recording of driver’s hours and difficulties with pick up and drop off points for coaches in Edinburgh city centre.
Morag said: “An issue has arisen in Edinburgh whereby coaches are being fined for dropping off and picking up passengers in what were designated coach drop off points in the city. No-one knows why this has come about or when the change in legislation was implemented!”
MP Alan Brown was said to be highly receptive to the coach industry’s concerns but was most intrigued with the onerous task of recording of driver’s hours under the current 28-day tachograph rule. Martin Bell said of the visit: “It’s vital that in this age of introducing clean air zones and low emission zones that we don’t needlessly punish coach operators for carrying out an honest days work. It’s been great that Alan Brown was so receptive to the plight of our members.”
