Warning that pollution-busting charge could see collapse of some companies
THE coach industry has warned some firms could collapse because of Birmingham’s pollution charge – but bus passengers can look forward to improved services.
The city council has held a round table discussion on the impact of its proposed Clean Air Zone (CAZ), which will apply charges to noncompliant vehicles from January 2020.
Bus and coach industries bosses declared both supported the plans but the latter faces a race against time to get vehicles up to standard.
It is estimated around three quarters of the 21,000 coaches operating in the UK are not of the required Euro VI benchmark, which was applied to most new models from September 2016.
The CAZ will impose charges of up to £100 a day for any high polluting bus or coach travelling within the city ring road.
But it is unfeasible for many com- panies to immediately buy new vehicles with typical coach prices ranging from £275,000 to £325,000.
Retro-fitting existing coaches is seen as the most realistic option but there are also issues with that.
Keith McNally, operations director at the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), said: “The current situation is that there is not a retro-fit solution that is accredited for any coach. The testing process is onerous and expensive.
“There are lots of unanswered questions but if I’m a coach operator today I can’t go out and buy equipment that is accredited by the government to fit to a Euro IV and V coach to bring it up to standard.”
Sylvia Broadley, the council’s air quality manager for transport, stated that there would likely be ‘sunset’ periods to provide more time to certain businesses facing delays in meeting the required standards.
Lynda Waltho, from the CPT, welcomed the reassurance and said: “It is really interesting and heartening to hear. It is our biggest issue. If we can get a commitment to some sort of sunset clause then that will be very useful to our members.
“We have case studies of actual firms and services that will just stop because they cannot manage if they have to pay a daily charge of possibly £100 or whatever. If you are able to do that, that would assist us with 80 per cent of our problem.”
The outlook more positive for National Express, which is the largest bus operator in the region.
The company has spent the last five years ensuring its fleet emits cleaner fumes by purchasing new vehicles and retro-fitting buses.
Spokeswoman Ali Bell said the company is already in a position where it can be fully compliant with the CAZ.
It anticipates an increase in passengers when the CAZ is implemented due to people ditching their old polluting cars which could attract charges up to £12.50 a day.
The extra income could see investment into improving buses, establishing new routes, the reinstatement of cross-city services and earlier services if there is the demand.
Ms Bell said: “We are ready, willing and able to ramp up bus services as soon as we see the first signs of modal shift.
“We assume if more people are getting on the buses and congestion is less, we will not have to have as many of our buses running on the same routes to keep frequency.
“That will free up buses that can be used in other places at other times for other services.”