Emma Hardy MP for Hull West and Hessle has chaired a virtual lobby with over thirty cross-party MPs and nearly 400 representatives from the coach industry to call on government action for urgent support during the COVID-19 crisis.
Hundreds of coach operators, many of which are small family-owned businesses, have not been able to access enough support to guarantee their survival, whilst other transport sectors have received tailored support.
During the meeting, in which Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds spoke alongside Sam Tarry MP Shadow Minister for Local Transport and Alex Sobel MP Shadow Minister for Tourism, coach industry representatives once again called for urgent support as many thousands of jobs are on the line and many family-run businesses face bankruptcy.
Ms Hardy MP personally invited the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps to attend who declined the invitation, but Baroness Vere, who is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Transport agreed to meet after the February parliamentary recess.
Following the meeting, Emma Hardy MP said:
“The British coach industry is the often-under-appreciated backbone of our tourism industry, often family-run, passed down from one generation to another, and it now needs our help to survive this awful pandemic.
The future is looking very bleak without government support with tens of thousands of jobs at stake and with up to half of all coach operators at risk of going bust.
Coaches are an integral part of our Britishness; from the day trips to the coast, to transporting sports fans up and down the country, to providing affordable holidays across the UK and into Europe. Time and time again we have called upon this Conservative Government for support and time and time again they have ignored our pleas.”
Alan Acklam of Acklams Coaches said:
“Acklam’s Coaches would like to thank Emma Hardy and all the other MP`s who attended today’s meeting as we continue to try to raise the plight the Coach Industry finds itself in.
The industry was strong before and can be strong again with the right support, message and time, we just hope the Government can see this.”
A spokesperson for the coach industry and owner of Mason Coaches, Candice Mason said:
“To help the coach industry recover from the pandemic and play a vital role in the country’s economic, environmental and social recovery from Covid-19 we need the Government to encourage commercial lenders to allow greater flexibility in finance repayments and ensure that no operator will have to start to pay back a government-backed loan until they have had the opportunity to see the business return.
As soon as restrictions allow the Government needs to paint a positive and unambiguous message in support of coaches and holidays, including in any promotion of UK tourism.
Finally, Ministers need to follow the lead of the Scottish Government and introduce a per vehicle grant-based scheme for coach operators as suggested by CPT last summer.”
Tom Bartosak-Harlow Head of External Relations for the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) said:
“It was great to see so many MPs backing Britain’s coaches today and supporting our call for the Government to provide support to an industry which is central to our transport, education and tourism sectors.
“The Government now needs to listen to provide support as a matter of urgency to avoid the collapse of hundreds of family-run businesses across the country.”
