HISTORIC SITES ? e i tt
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OR TRADING ESTATES?
ALill( )UGH environmental objections to lorries grab the headlines, coach operators must be increasingly wary of quieter attempts to ban there vechicles from areas most attractive to tourists.
Oxford used to be one of the major attractions on Stratford and Coventry day tours from London, with many foreign tourists often enjoying a walk through some of its colleges and a drive around its most interesting streets and past its historic buildings. But such was the success of the tours that coaches were identified as a cause of major traffic congestion. As a result, tourist coaches were banned from the most scenic city streets and now many tours have to be confined to the least inspiring parts of the city. Visitors probably take back memories of an indifferent city rather than of a great and historic seat of learning.
While some coach drivers may have been less than considerate to the Oxford public or other road users, the ban seems to show an official perception of a coach as a large, unattractive mobile nuisance. The local authority fails to acknowledge the importance of tourism to the city's economy, the needs of visitors and the impact of the ban on the image of that city to coach borne tourists.
With its superb visibility the coach is unbeatable for tourist travel, but memorable itineraries are important to ensure that tourists have a good time and take away a favourable impression, thus creating repeat tourist business.
Relegating coaches to the back of the railway station and the industrial trading estates is not the way to develop coach tour business.
WINDSOR, another prime tourist destination, is in danger of going the same way as Oxford. At the moment coaches from all over Britain and Europe are regular visitors. Many elderly and infirm passengers enjoy that final drive past the castle gates and entrance to the Royal Mews. But unless operators campaign they may find that their passengers have had these views replaced by ones of Windsor's derelict bus garage.
Operators must ensure that local planning authorities understand that the view from the coach window is an important element of the product this offer and that their passenger needs r be fully considered before coaches, which remain a most economic user road space, are denied access to majo attractions.
Thc..y should also ensure that their drivers remain aware of the needs to keep areas open to coaches and remember not to do anything to crea an anti-coach lobby.
During the past decade the objectic to heavy lorry traffic have resulted in ever increasing number of' lorry and heavy vehicle bans. Some have result in the erection of restricted width vehicle baricades which have also excluded coaches from areas where operators could have Mond a market their services.
That must include any street with z public house, school, club, sports fiel. or church in it; all these places are potential and existing markets for private hire and contract coaches.
With deregulation around the corn( coach operators should campaign moi vigorously to ensure that any anti-lor feeling does not result in action likely restrict their ability to introduce new products to the travelling public.