Taking a coach abroad
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All you ever wanted to know about Continental coaching but never had Noel Millier to ask
WITH more and more British coaches taking to the roads of Europe and beyond and more and more operators considering the openings available, it's worth outlining the basic requirements for a Continental coach operation.
The first and most basic requirement is obviously the Operators' licence, which must be a "Standard International" Licence or a "Restricted" one for minibus operation.
The category of service to be operated has then to be decided. In Western Europe international coach services are divided into three main categories, occasional, regular, and shuttle.
Most private hire, excursions and tours come under the category of occasional services, and these are divided into three further sub-divisions. Most common of these is the "closed door tour", which is an operation where the coach makes a round trip back to the same starting point carrying the same group of passengers throughout.
A service which makes an outward journey with passengers and returns home empty — for example, a transfer to a European airport — is also regarded as occasional, as are any other operations that do not fall into any of the other categories.
Regular services are what would in Britain be regarded as stage or express services — services carrying passengers along specific routes at specific fares and times.
There are also "special regular services", such as those restricted to carrying certain passengers, for example students or company employees.
Shuttle services are currently very much in vogue. This is one where previously formed groups of passengers are carried from a single departure place to a prearranged single destination and back. For example, the coach takes a group to a campsite in France, returns empty, takes out another group and then returns with the first group, and so on .until the end of the holiday season.
The operation of any coach service that starts and finishes in the EEC is subject to EEC Regulations, irrespective of whether they are being operated commercially or the number of passengers.
Regulations apply to all vehicles registered in a member state carrying nine passengers or more including the driver provided that they are constructed for and intended for carrying passengers.
Most West European countries that are not members of the EEC have agreed to common rules at the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT).
Services going further afield are either subject to bilateral agreements between the respective governments or to the domestic licensing laws of the country to be visited.
EEC members are Great Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, West Germany, Ireland (the Republic), Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. ECMT members outside the EEC are Austria, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Yogoslavia.
EEC and ECMT rules are the same for most categories of occasional services, including closed door and outward laden and return unladen jobs, provided that an international control waybill is carried on the vehicle.
Books of 30 waybills are available from Traffic Area offices. They are not transferable. Each waybill must be completed in duplicate before the start of a journey by the person responsible for the operation. The top copy must be carried by the driver throughout the journey.
Private minibuses tarrying more than nine people do require a waybill. The waybill exempts coaches from domestic licensing regulations in both EEC and ECMT member states but must be carried on the vehicle and produced for inspection when required.
On a closed door tour a waybill does allow the operation of day excursions provided that details are previously entered on the document. Any inaccuracies in the document could result in a fine or even, in some countries, the coach being impounded.
In certain countries, and particularly Spain, foreign coaches are not allowed to travel between 2200 hours and 0500 hours.
Normally it is not possible to make outward unladen trips to pick up parties in another country and bring them to Britain although EEC Regulations do allow this if the party is a group formed by a contract of carriage made before their arrival in the country where they are to be picked up.
Outside Western Europe separate authorisations may be required from countries through which the coach is to pass. Bilateral agreements exist between Britain and Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Poland and Romania that allow the operation of most types of occasional service without too much fuss. Full details are available from the Department of Transport. For other countries, operators should contact the Tourist Office and/or Ministry of Transport of the country concerned.
Operators wishing to operate regular (not shuttle) services 1 Europe should discuss the proposals with the DTp as earl as possible. Many countries al restrictive in order to prate their railways. An applicatio has to be agreed by all countrie concerned and can be very timi consuming and most countrie insist on their own operatoi having a share in the traffic.
For EEC countries, a reguli service application form (Int PI is available. A fee of £20 charged whether the applicatio is successful or not.
Outside the EEC, separai authority is needed from eac country involved includin Britain. A form for the Britis section of the journey (Int P15) i available. The fee is E10.
With shuttle services only, th EEC rules make specific prov sion. For a shuttle within th EEC, application form (Int P17)1 available. The fee is £50.
For a shuttle to countrie outside the EEC, a British sectc authorisation is required tc gether with authorisation fror any other countries involved.
For more detailed informatio on international licensing, a DT booklet (Int P10) Taking VOL Coach Abroad is available. Ar plication forms for services an information should be requeste from Department of Transpor P12, Room P2/071," Marshar Street, London SW1P 3EB (tele phone 01-212 3068 or 7878).
It is also important for th prospective internationa operator to ensure his driver know the rules of the road in th countries to be visited. It is irr portant that the coach is suitabl for the operation. A red warnin, triangle carried in the boot is must for most countries and box of light bulbs, fan belts an an emergency windscreen ar suitable precautions.
The headlights should be se to avoid dazzling oncoming tral fic and an international identifi cation plate (GB) should be car red.
Another item unfortunately o1 ten expected in some countrie is a box of duty free cigaretteE which has been known to hell avoid delays at frontiers, particu larly in France.
Continental coach operatioi can be profitable but it demand a high level of preparation to en sure that all requirements an eventualities are catered for be fore the coach leaves this coun try.