MP offers support to the coach industry during visit to J&B Travel company
On Friday, September 25, Ms Brabin visited J&B Travel in Leeds, a family business run by her constituents which has received little to no support from the Government during the pandemic.
The business is still struggling to turn a profit or break-even due to a low demand for day trips, in part because of earlier warnings by the Prime Minister to avoid public transport at all costs.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdTracy met with Paul Lynn, managing director of J&B Travel, and his assistant Terrie, a constituent of Batley and Spen, who together explained that these warnings about public transport simply do not match the science when it comes to coaches, demonstrating their state of the art air purification systems and deep-cleaning fog machines to Tracy.
Coaches are also well-suited to comply with Covid-19 secure guidelines thanks to their enormous size, being able to socially distance passengers by group, household or even individual.
While Paul and Terrie are confident that J&B will survive the months ahead, they are aware of other coach companies in worse-off positions, so have been working with Tracy and campaigners to raise the plight of the coach sector, including a ‘Honk 4 Hope’ rally in London that brought hundreds of honking coaches to the capital.
Ms Brabin said: “The Government needs to step up and support our vital travel and tourism sector, ensuring banks and insurance companies are not profiteering from the crisis putting many viable, flourishing, family run companies out of business.”