Transport for London Launches New Coach Plan

Every day some 1,000 coaches move in and out of London, ferrying tourists back and forth to all of the city’s most important sites. And while the coaches bring much-needed economic activity to the capital, they also bring traffic congestion, pollution, and a long list of potential safety issues. Transport for London (TfL) aims to improve things with a brand-new action plan for coaches.

WebWire reports that TfL has joined forces with the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) to launch what is being called the Tourist Coach Action Plan for London. The goal of the plan is to improve the passenger experience while making traffic in the city operate more smoothly and efficiently. The plan calls for:

• minimising the impact of coaches
• improving coach efficiency
• providing better access to tourist coaches
• developing working partnerships.

Among other things, the TfL aims to make better use of stopping and parking spaces within the city. Not only will this improve traffic flow and access to tourists, it should also help improve the perception of the coach industry among the general public. Tackling idling bus engines is another priority of the plan.

In terms of safety issues, the TfL has established a new driving course tailored specifically to drivers operating coaches in London. Similar to the already successful Safe Urban Driving Course, this new course will serve to fulfil part of the CPC requirement now mandated for all commercial drivers. TfL officials hope coach drivers will take advantage of the course in numbers equal to, or greater than, the more than 600 who completed the original TfL course in 2012.

Through better driver training and initiatives designed to improve traffic flow, the Tourist Coach Action Plan should see very measurable results within the next 2 to 5 years. If London is to make the most of its tourism potential then this a plan that needs to succeed.

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