London 2012 blog

Of all the small to medium-sized businesses that have the opportunity to be involved with London 2012, bus and coach operators must be somewhere at the top of the list.

In addition to helping to provide the vehicles needed to get athletes, officials and media around the Games, we need buses and coaches to help get thousands of spectators there too.

So, it was with this in mind that I attended a workshop for bus and coach operators based in the South West, near Bristol. This workshop was arranged by the trade body the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT), which we work with closely.

This photo shows me (on the right) with Giles Fearnley, CPT President:

These 'one stop shop' evening workshops take place all over the UK. They give regional operators a chance to find out more about a variety of issues relating to their businesses and industry. More than 100 people attended this workshop. For the exhibitors, the workshops provide an excellent chance to talk face-to-face with businesses from all over the UK.

Coach operators typically have a loyal local client base. Many spectators visiting the Games will go to their local coach operator first to find out the coach travel options for the Games, particularly for group travel.

At the workshop, operators were keen to find out what sort of vehicles London 2012 will need so that they could start to upgrade their fleet in time for the Games. Many were relieved to discover that well-maintained modern coaches that were compliant with London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) requirements would also fit the bill for a lot of other Games requirements.

Good transport will be vital to the success of the Games. By having this close contact with bus and coach operators now, we can make great inroads to building relationships with the operators that will deliver transport during the Games.