National Coach Week: Transport Minister in effort to tackle driver and engineer shortages after visiting ‘fantastic’ 43-year-old Batley coach company
A 43-year-old Batley coach company was paid a visit by Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, yesterday (Tuesday).
The Minister, who is the MP for Wakefield and Rothwell, visited Star Coaches, based on Victoria Avenue, ahead of National Coach Week which celebrates the essential role of coaches in everyday life.
It is an industry that contributes over £6bn to the national tourism economy, however, concerns have been raised about the challenges companies are currently facing, including staffing shortages and accessibility.
After being given a tour of the facilities at Star Coaches, Mr Lightwood will now meet with industry leaders later today (Wednesday) to share insights from the visit and discuss how the government can strengthen the sector for the future.
He said: “I am here to really understand the vital role coach industries play in building local economies. The coach industry is really important to break down those barriers to opportunity to improve people’s lives, and that goes back to the Government’s ambitions about breaking down those barriers and our Plan for Change.
“I think there is an exciting future here for the coach industry but hearing about some of the challenges - be that decarbonising the coach sector, and making it more accessible - that they’re facing is really important.
“How do we attract more drivers, and also more engineers to the industry? How do we recruit that next generation of drivers and engineers? Those are some of the conversations I have been having with the company and I’ll be taking those findings back to a meeting I’m holding with the industry on Wednesday.”
Praising the coach firm, which has been transporting children, college and university students, community groups and sports organisations, as well as assisting older residents stay connected in Batley, and beyond, since 1982, the Minister added:
“Star Coaches has been here for quite some time. It is a fantastic resource, and probably one of the cleanest engineering areas I’ve seen.
“They are really important, be that for education, for tourism, they are really important in breaking down those barriers. They support children in getting to schools and various school trips, and help the elderly so they can go to places like Scarborough.
“That means the world to people.
“I go on visits as Transport Minister across the country so it’s fantastic to just be a couple of miles down the road in Batley. I am really proud that we have businesses as good as this on our doorstep serving our communities.”
As well as tackling staffing shortages, Star Coaches’ Managing Director, Imran Dabhad, who runs the well-established family-owned business, wants the Government to help with wheelchair accessibility from the roadside.
He said: “Accessibility is a key thing where many coach operators have invested in making vehicles compliant so they are wheelchair friendly.
“However, there is a huge issue in terms of us being able to deploy our services on the roadside because the kerbside isn’t quite suitable to deploy a lift, so it isn’t quite suitable for people in a wheelchair to be loaded onto a coach.
“We have adapted very well by investing in vehicles that are suitable for people travelling by wheelchair but more support is needed by the Government itself investing in the infrastructure on the road, and having designated points where we can load and unload passengers in wheelchairs.”
On the visit of Mr Lightwood and how much he enjoys running Star Coaches, Mr Dabhad, added:
“It has been very, very positive and Simon is very understanding. We are very fortunate as we have some young staff driving it forward very passionately.
“We have got a great reputation and we are continually investing in new staff and new vehicles to keep delivering the best service possible to the people who use it.
“We have family values and those are what we hold in how we manage our staff. We have a strong relationship with our customers who have been using us for so many years.”
National Coach Week, in partnership with the Road Haulage Association (RHA), runs from Monday, May 12, until Sunday, May 18.
Richard Smith, RHA Managing Director, said:
“National Coach Week is a fantastic opportunity to shine a spotlight on the vital role the coach industry plays in our society.
“Coaches provide essential transport links, connect communities, and support our tourism sector. They are also a key part of the solution to reducing congestion and improving air quality.
“We urge everyone to join us in celebrating this important industry and recognise the hard work and dedication of the people who make it all possible.”
As part of efforts to tackle driver shortages and expand opportunities for young people, the Government is currently reviewing consultation feedback on licence rules for 18–20-year-olds.
The Government is also working with the sector to continually improve accessibility, which includes running an innovation competition with Innovate UK to develop transferrable Audio-Visual (AV) equipment for coaches, which will award projects up to £170,000.