Morley and Outwood MP, Andrea Jenkyns, has met with Yorkshire-based specialist bus and coach insurance broker, McCarron Coates, to listen to the concerns of campaigners asking for support for the British coach sector.
McCarron Coates welcomed Andrea Jenkyns to their offices, to provide a briefing about their high-impact ‘Wish You Could Hear’ campaign, created to support in-crisis coach operators. The MP met with McCarron Coates directors, Ian McCarron and Paul Coates, as well as coach tours operator, Paul Lynn, of J&B Travel Ltd, based in Stanningley, Leeds.
Joining the meeting via video technology, to provide further insight, were Richard Bamber from Anthony’s Travel in Runcorn, Candice Mason from Masons Coach Hire in Tring and Jenna Rush from North East Coach Travel in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
The Morley and Outwood MP was particularly concerned to hear that operators have continued to have to pay interest on finance agreements, despite the coaches that were purchased through such agreements, often so as to comply with new environmental regulations, not running, in many cases, since March.
To help push the campaign further, McCarron Coates staged a photo with Andrea Jenkyns and their lobbying retro ‘Wish You Could Hear’ postcard. Featuring a coach in coach tourism’s heyday, the postcard also carries an emotive message of:
“Having a truly torrid time. Black clouds ever-present. Coach sector is beached. Vehicles laid up, family businesses in ruins, finance agreements on off-the-road coaches being enforced.
Wish MPs would shout out that the coach sector matters – to tourism, leisure & education. It matters to all destinations, attractions, theatres, schools and community groups. To people of all ages. Probably won’t be back next year.”
The postcard is available in both hard and electronic formats, for sending to MPs and influencers and it was such action that led to the briefing with Andrea Jenkyns being arranged.
McCarron Coates director, Paul Coates, says: “We thank Andrea Jenkyns MP, for meeting with us, to hear the very real issues that coach operators have. She was shocked to hear of the interest payment situation and we hope that this may result in some pressure to investigate why operators should be having to pay interest, when others, such as homeowners and businesses, have been able to have payment holidays, to help tide them over.”
Fellow director, Ian McCarron, adds: “We must now push on with the campaign and encourage more operators to send cards to their MP. We have seen comments on social media to suggest that some MPs have not responded, so we hope such MPs will now follow Andrea Jenkyns’s lead and listen to their feedback. Our cards can be sent electronically, as well as through the post, so all it takes is a few minutes of an operator’s time to click and send. The electronic card even helps them discover who their MP is and how to contact them.”
