Regarding the Transport Select Committee on coach and, more importantly, Baroness Vere’s remarks regarding balance sheets and lack of support to the sector.
Firstly, anyone who has spoken with the Baroness through conversation or letter (I will ignore her colleague who had been primed to wave his pom poms regarding her support to our sector), knows she enjoys nothing more than facts and figures on what you are bringing to the table for the English Government; if it doesn’t satisfy her needs, then for her there is no point talking to you.
I personally don’t believe Baroness Vere is knowledgeable of the sector, and that was shown in this meeting. Candice Mason advised, as many operators have, on how Masons Minibus and Coach Hire helps its local community. Graham Vidler advised regarding barren lands if companies fell by the roadside, and the Baroness’ response was to say assets will be purchased, staff will be re-employed, and another business will take over.
Anyone who understands the sector knows you have to invest heavily when starting a coach business. Yes, anyone can buy a couple of cheap service buses and do home-to-school, but that really is not the discussion. Yes, we all know that large corporate companies could invest and take over, but do they understand the local needs, and would they want to if they did?
Baroness Vere quotes how the government has helped our sector with home-to-school and scheduled services over Christmas 2020. The sad thing is, it didn’t happen to the extent she may have wished – the simple reason being procurement.
The Baroness constantly reverted to the Additional Restrictions Grant, and while none of us will likely say no, what good does £3,000 do for your business (for those lucky enough to receive it) when, with vehicle, finance, insurance and yard rents alone, we pay £42,000 per month?
I agree with Nigel Skill – could companies like ours, with 17 vehicles all Euro VI compliant (15 of them PSVAR compliant also) on our good balance sheet – have sat on the fence when Leeds City Council requested, and were adamant of implementing, a Clean Air Zone? Could we have ignored government on PSVAR?
Regarding grants – an example I use is my barber. He advised me that his yearly outgoings were £14,000. He received through various grants from Leeds City Council £30,000 – that covers a lot of short, back and sides. Our local village pub received subsidy through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and was open for nearly nine months in 2020. A family run coach company, meanwhile, operated under winter or COVID-19 restrictions for the whole of 2020, and generally around our size will have outgoings of £85k-100k. In proportion, how real is the support?
I appreciate the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has helped, and yes we all cheered when government announced it would be extended, but had it not, we would have had to lay off staff. Perhaps then major media outlets would have spoken to our sector more.
While, for the reasons supplied, I don’t believe we will receive support, I do however believe the government should look at the Scottish support for family companies which have been proactive at local and national government level. These will be the ones that struggle through to March 2022, when we may get a season.
I appreciate that many companies believe June 21 will save us, but are the public, if we are honest, coming forward in droves? I don’t think so. September as education reopens will see some confidence return but I feel we are in for a long hard winter.
Let’s keep rolling, and see what happens.
Paul Lynn
J&B Travel
Leeds
