Coach services could be cut due to record diesel prices, operators warn
Source: The Guardian ·
Rising fuel costs are pushing hundreds of firms out of business, threatening school transport, firms sayBusiness live – latest updatesCoach operators have said record diesel prices could force cuts to services including school transport, as hauliers warn rising fuel costs are pushing hundreds of firms out of business.The average price of diesel on UK forecourts hit a fresh record of more than £2…
From the source
Coach operators have said record diesel prices could force cuts to services including school transport, as hauliers warn rising fuel costs are pushing hundreds of firms out of business. The average price of diesel on UK forecourts hit a fresh record of more than £2 a litre last week, as the war in the Middle East continues to disrupt global fuel supplies. Alison Edwards, the director of policy at the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), said the cost of fuel had “surged this year to unsustainable levels, pushing coach operators’ already tight margins to breaking point”. “It is time for urgent action,” she said. “Without intervention, soaring prices will mean difficult decisions on the availability of services, including home-to-school transport, and the viability of businesses.” Edwards said 85% of independent coach operators are family businesses, and called on the government to provide temporary support with the cost of diesel, adding that the industry “needs help”. Local…