More than 60 RHA coach members have signed a letter to the Prime Minister calling for a range of measures to support the industry following National Coach Week, when the RHA launched its Manifesto for the Coach Industry which sets out key asks on recruitment, borders, decarbonisation and other important issues.
In the letter to Rishi Sunak operators said: “During National Coach Week this year, MPs and officials of all parties across the country showed their support for the coach industry.
“We are now writing to you, alongside the RHA, to impress upon you the importance of the coach industry to a wide range of economic sectors, to articulate to you the challenges our industry faces, and to propose to you measures that could help improve the business climate for coach drivers and operators across the nation.
“A thriving coach industry is essential to so many parts of the economy, and performs a vital role in so many communities. We implore you to recognise the seriousness of the challenges facing us at present, and engage with us to support our vital work.”
The RHA is calling on politicians across the country to support the coach sector – and to ’Think Co.A.C.H.E.S.’ at every level of politics, from Westminster, to mayors’ offices, to local councils, and to understand the challenges facing the coach industry:
- Costs & Regulation – More targeted support to ease cost pressures and help to comply with planned accessibility regulations.
- Abroad – Work with the EU to speed up border crossings; change visa rules for drivers.
- Conditions – Coaches should be considered in infrastructure projects to make it easier to operate in cities and tourism areas.
- Highways – Road infrastructure must be fit for purpose and designed with coaches in mind; Port and border facilities must be updated.
- Environment – Lower the cost and increase availability of low-carbon, alternative fuels; work with industry and the market to develop a zero-emission coach travel roadmap.
- Skills – More training options and a skills ‘bootcamp’ for Category D licences; lift restrictions on 18-year-old drivers to allow them to undertake non-scheduled or occasional journeys.
