IRU - 5th European Bus and Coach Forum

Opening session
	Opening Martin Marmy, IRU Secretary General The title of this Forum, « Coach travel: The Green and Safe Alternative » could not have been better chosen. Indeed, coaches are safe, probably the safest of all modes of transport. Coaches are the most environmentally friendly mode of transport. Coach and bus companies offer a high-quality service and can prove it. Coach tourism contributes strongly to the economic and tourist development of cities. However despite the exceptional and incomparable performances which coach and bus transport services are able to provide, it must be admitted that these qualities are not highly recognised by decision-makers.	More...
	A glimpse from over-sea: Impacts of the Motorcoach Industry on Society and the Economy in the USA and Canada: presentation of 2007 study results Peter Pantuso, President and CEO of the American Bus Association (ABA) Motorcoaches reduce congestion, overall carbon emissions, and fuel consumption... they are also one of the safest modes of surface transportation. As a result, motorcoaches are already part of the solution to many of North America’s transportation, congestion and environmental concerns. It is not only a green and safe transport alternative, but it is the transportation choice that makes the most sense.	More...
	Current and future EU market and legal framework for bus and coach services in Europe Attila Eordogh, Land Transport Policy, European Commission, DG Energy and Transport. We are launching a study with the objective to carry out a thorough investigation and a comprehensive analysis of the European coach industry, focusing on four main items: a through statistical data collection, analysis of coach accident data, assessment of coach terminal infrastructure, and a case study on the new EU driving and rest time rules and the impact of the suppression of the 12-day continuous driving derogation in international occasional transport in the EU.	More...
	Mathieu Hoeberings, Policy Officer & Task Manager, European Commission, DG ENTR, Tourism Unit The real challenge facing the European tourism industry today is to combine sustainable development and competitiveness. In order to achieve this objective, all stakeholders, be they involved directly, such as local and EU authorities, or indirectly, like it is the case for tourists whose patterns are changing, will have to show a certain level of commitment for change.	More...

1st Interactive Panel Session: Sustainable destinations
	Moderated by: Tom Jenkins, Executive Director, European Tour Operators Association (ETOA)
	Reconciling sustainability and operator’s profitability imperatives: the travel agent’s perspective Joe Borg Olivier, President,United Federation of Travel Agents' (UFTAA) The travelling public is now looking for environment-friendlier transport modes like coach and rail. In Europe especially, coach transport is a good alternative and opens up new destinations to travellers.	More...
	Problems faced by European coach operators in Italian tourist cities and possible solutions for the future Gabriele Montecorboli, Associazione Nazionale Autotrasporto Viaggiatori (ANAV), Italy All major cities are faced with the same access-planning problems. However, both history and culture must remain accessible to everyone and should not become the exclusive property of privileged citizens. This is why high cost-based access is not an option, even less considering the fact that entry taxes in the City of Venice resulted by no means in creating new or improving tourism-friendly facilities. Moreover, what would be Art cities without tourists?	More...
	A policy that works: Practical results of the implementation of the Dresden’ s Coach Parking and Guiding System Dr. Matthias Mohaupt, Head of Department, Transport Planning of Dresden The management of coaches takes place under the slogan « The town of Dresden not only manages coach tourism, it develops it ». On this level, it is important that all the players – local economies, the town, coach and tourism sectors, tourists themselves – participate actively in the resolution of the problems faced by everyone in order to arrive at situations beneficial to all, thanks to common strategies. The example of Dresden shows that this method works, and offers a huge potential for innovation, thanks to an exchange of expertise and know-how.	More...

2nd Interactive Panel Session: Sustainable and profitable operations
	Moderated by: Mr Birger Bäckman, Senior Advisor, United Federation of Travel Agents’ Associations (UFTAA)
	Impact of the suppression of the 12-day rule derogation for coaches : a study Giorgia Aresu, Consultant, PriceWaterHouse Coopers Advisory, Italy This study, commissioned by the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism will give an overview of the economic situation and the characteristics of the bus and coach tourism sector affected by the new regulation. It will also provide a detailed impact assessment as regards the deletion of the 12 days rule, especially in terms of viability, competitiveness and road safety.	More...
	Setting the standard: Problems faced by operators and operators’ best practices from a UK perspective Alan Scoles, President CPT (UK) & Operations Planning Director at WAShearings We need to create industry unity across Europe especially for E.U. Legislation. We will not achieve anything unless our industry contributes Europe wide, and makes common representations. We need to expand our list of willing partners, for example by identifying as many coach friendly authorities as we can, whilst also seeking to penalise those that won’t work with us. We can provide the solutions to many of the national and international transport and environmental issues and we should vigorously put forward our credentials. We will only win by being united… and by establishing and delivering common goals that all countries can sign up to.	More...
	Setting the standard: Problems faced by operators and operators’ best practices from a German perspective Hermann Meyering, Director, Meyering Travel Buses and more in particular coaches, have been the main losers of the competition between different modes of transport for a number of years. Companies struggle with tremendous obstacles and regulations and lose out in favour of other transport modes such as plane and train. Many coach companies see their very existence under attack, threatening a whole branch of the industry’s medium-seized economy. It would even appear that policy not only witnesses this development passively but also actively contributes to it.	More...
	Setting the standard: Problems faced by operators and operators’ best practices from a Dutch perspective L.W. Ringelberg, Director, Leo Ringelberg Touringcars The Dutch authorities agree that the abolishment of the 12 days rule is negative for the coach industry. For the time being they allow coach companies to stick to the old rules on this point as laid down in Decision 3820/85. For those coach companies and tour operators that have already adjusted their travelling schedules to the new rules, this means unfair competition. They have made heavy investments in personnel to meet the demands and their competitors do not bear these costs…	More...

Conclusions
	Francesco Pacifico, IRU Vice-President Today’s debate is most significant, in more ways than one. Indeed, this is the first time we have had the opportunity to face the opinions of leaders and experts who, though from various horizons, nevertheless share a deep respect and a real engagement to our profession. A profession which, I am proud to say out loud, has a wonderful future ahead of it … The future smiles upon us. Not only because flexibility and innovation are our key words, but also because our sector plays a vital economic and social role. I would like to seize the opportunity offered to us by the presence of numerous leaders in the travel and tourism industry of Europe and American, of representatives of major tourist destinations, of members of the European Parliament and the European Commission, to launch an appeal with a view to the establishment of a reinforced public-private partnership thanks to which we will, collectively and in the public interest, promote coaches and buses as the first-class choice for customers and for society.	More...