Tyre ban progress

An update from our Managing Director

I wholeheartedly welcome the new legislation banning the use of tyres over 10 years old on minibuses, mainstream buses, coaches and HGVs.

At National Express Accessible Transport we already have an existing policy in place setting a limit of a maximum age of 10 years on any tyres we use, and we are working toward reducing this further.

We all need to be able to make the safest choices

All transport providers must do what is right, not just the minimum that is required. Personally, if I’m getting on a vehicle or if my nine year old daughter is, I want to know that that vehicle is as safe as it can be. We all need to be able to make the safest choices.

This new legislation is a victory for the Tyred Campaign, set up in the aftermath of a coach crash in 2012 where three people lost their lives and others suffered life-changing injuries.

The cause of that crash was found to be a tyre that was nearly 20 years old.

I’m proud of the fact that National Express was the first corporate supporter of the Tyred Campaign and I was delighted to be able to speak at their 2017 launch event in a former role of mine.

Committed to driving up industry standards

The same is true now as it was then. Our leadership in this industry demonstrates our commitment to raising awareness of safety considerations and essential standards around tyre safety so that we can continue to provide safe and accessible transport for all.

As Managing Director of the relatively new National Express Accessible Transport business, my vision for NEAT is to raise the bar and improve standards in accessible transport. A key part of that vision is to recognise the huge responsibility we have in safely carrying all of our passengers on all of our vehicles, day in, day out.

The safety of our passengers, our employees and the public more generally is, and always will be, our number one priority, right across the National Express Group.

But it’s not just our relentless commitment to world-class safety in our own organisation and on our own services. We are also committed to driving up safety standards across the wider transport industry.

This is progress but more needs to be done

So, this recent change in law is really great news. It brings with it a requirement that will now be enforced, significantly improving the overall safety standards of passenger carrying operators and reducing the risk of serious tyre-related accidents.

But we also recognise there is still more to be done.

The legislation does not include tyres in twin configuration. We already apply it to every tyre so we agree with the Tyred Campaign that this exemption is wrong. We want to see a total ban and we will continue to support them in campaigning for this to happen.

If you want to support Tyred to secure a safer future please visit www.tyred.org.uk.

Vinay Parmar
Managing Director
National Express Accessible Transport