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Thank you for your reply Andy.

Im not sure how the online partitions work i must try and find out, the main problem is how does the government give taxis and buses a grant towards it and coaches get nothing but still have arrange new engines or get fined

thank 

john

This is a recent letter i sent to the mayors office.

I feel I need to write this letter as I feel the small coach operators in London are getting a raw deal, I am a fairly new operator and I am enjoying the challenge this past year that I have operated.

I have looked at all the information you have printed in press and coach magazines regarding the proposed new euro 6 engines or the fines associated with the new emissions.

I am a new operator from Tooting in London. I have had to maintain euro emissions which I have done with the equinox system which cost £5000 so I have been legal and didn’t have to pay fines for emissions just the yearly check.

I upgraded within 6 months to a newer coach at more expense to try and be more user friendly, but still with the euro 4 equinox system, now it looks like I’ve been wasting my time and money trying to get on and work hard all was going well, now this.

There is no way I can afford a euro 6 engine within 2 years, I wish I had never started the business now I have worked hard to get my business up and running now to be hit in the pocket again. A fine of £100 every time I leave the yard is a disgrace, I won’t be able to get a euro 6 engine by then as there will not be enough available to sustain the market, so how can we be fined when we can’t source the engines, this seems like another tax on coach operators again.

How are schools going to get their school contracts arranged when all the vehicle won’t be ELEZ compliant? are the schools going to pay the extra £100 fine for us, as we don’t earn that much more than that per trip now.

I don’t think this has been looked into enough, are you going to give operators euro 6 engines in 2019, no you can’t. There won’t be enough engines to go around, so we get fined for not being

able to purchase euro 6 engines. I was aware it was emissions that were the reason for this new change in emissions obviously not, or you would ban all coaches and trucks from London. after all its emissions you are supposed to be worried about or is this another money making concern.

 I might add taxis are the worst offenders who run around London all day empty, the fumes and emissions are in London 24 hours. with their empty cabs. but they seem to be getting a grant along with the bus companies, where are the coach company grants

Where’s the coach operators deal or are we as usual left on the rubbish pile as usual.

 If I drove school children to a museum or the zoo in London I Will in 2019 get fined £100, that for taking school kids into learn about London. It might be easier to take them out of London at no cost to themselves or the operator. I was aware London was open for business. Apart from transport that is.

 I will be writing to all schools in London and elsewhere explaining these actions, and how it may affect their budgets in the future, they should be aware of how much they will need to pay extra because of your taxes. Also the kids that are picked up on school runs will need to find another way of bringing the children into school as the fine would be more expensive than the payment we receive, has anyone looked into this school problem? Or maybe the parents can drive their cars again creating more problems, I know they like the idea of their children getting pickups in the morning and evening especially for the grammar schools who have pickups daily at the moment.

Maybe all schools should go back the days of coach pickups, it would save emissions and traffic problems every day. it works with private and grammar schools and they like the idea.

All operators were aware of the 2020 date for changes and were busy trying to work with the date set by the previous mayor.

Why has it been brought forward. when everyone was expecting 2020. A lot of small local coach operators who do mostly school contracts in London won’t be able to operate, and will go out of business that’s a great start for your time as mayor, so who’s going to do the schools?  Or don’t you care, parents will not be happy I assume.

 I do care that’s why started on my own, now after a year I and others will be forced to give up. 0nly 6% of coaches operate in London, we all have tried to keep emissions down with expensive exhaust systems now they are useless and a waste of our money, now you want more money

My yard is in London how can I pay £100 a day to earn the same as I do now, with what schools expect to pay, and who will do your schools when we are all gone.

 I think you should start looking at your local schools and your local coach companies or maybe let them go bust. and let the roads clog up with more school runs with cars and more traffic and more emissions. More coach companies are disappearing every week I know why now.

We all want cleaner air and there’s a price to pay. We have paid. As operators we have spent thousands of pounds on exhaust systems to satisfy the London emissions, for what, more money for a coach or a fine, just the coach operators who are trying to give a good service.

 if you fine me £100 a day I will sell the coach and give up because I cannot afford £300,000 for a new coach you just charge the tax payer for a vehicle anytime you want changes

May I add that coach operators come into London to give London the business as you say London is open, I think its about to be closed in 2019, coach companies don’t just bring tourists to the capital. half the schools we bring to London for the museums, the history, and as part of their school curriculum.

 I today took 2 school groups to London one to the Kings Cross Theatre the other to London Zoo, this was possible at cheaper price as I don’t get fined for emissions, in 2019 I will not be able to afford to do this at a price the school can afford, so do the schools pay more for the trip to take in the fine? does the mayors office subsidise the school or don’t they go to London? It’s not just tourists that visit London it’s our own schools and their curriculums too, who will suffer in the end? I thought the Brexit vote was to stop the euro laws and fines, not make us coach operators pay more, I will not be the only person writing this sort of letter plenty of operators are very unhappy,

 I come into London with schools as a necessity not because I want to, because they want to, I find London hard work. As The traffic is horrendous, hard to park, to take a break, chased by officials and parking problems including fines from TFL etc. etc. It’s not worth the hassle, you want the money not the coaches.

 I would rather not come into London, but the schools want to, and have to, who will bring them in When 2019 stops operators from doing that.

I do not believe this has been thought through from different sides of all involved, it’s a 1-sided tax, as it was when we all spent £5000.00 on new exhaust systems to get euro 4, nothing to do with emissions if so ban us all if you’re that worried about air pollution and the constant idling of engines, but you fine us instead which defeats the object, a cure not a fine,

Why have taxis and buses got or are getting a grant towards the cost but coach companies are not offered, are we different?  We are all stuck at traffic lights, as taxies do, but they want to be in London to earn money. I don’t, I drop off and get out quick.

I normally turn my engine off at traffic lights in London for the emissions reason, but now I have to pay £100 again when I already bought a system as I thought till 2020, do you think all coach operators have loads of money, I don’t think so.  In Paris the coach companies won’t go into the city for a week in protest.

I am very concerned that this is all going to end in disaster for all operators, as in my opinion it’s not been thought though enough or with more thought to schools and other charity’s, we deliver a non-expensive great service every day to children in schools, who are the future. Everyone can’t cycle into London we wished they could.

I remember when there were pubs in London there disappearing too, outpriced and taxed like coach companies in London. I used love and admire London, like you I lived here all my life maybe it’s time to leave the London I have loved and promoted. Looks like it’s cheaper to set business elsewhere who really mean open for business.

 Don’t ask me ask the schools. the parents, and the operators, for their views. Their views and for their input I haven’t seen them anywhere in your consultations so far.

I hope you do. Tooting has done me proud over the years, shame I now have to leave as I’m being forced out by taxes which have nothing to do with emissions it’s a tax. London will be closed for business from 2019.

John Connelly

Connelly Coaches

                                     ANOTHER COACH ANOTHER TICKET

Common sense prevails, or does it.

Another coach Ticket

A coach provides a huge benefit for the transport and tourist industry and operates at full capacity mostly. Maybe it’s about time the cyclists paid some towards there upgrades costs

Does Common sense prevail. No chance with TFL. We have Transport for London.   

Have they become as other coach operators admit? THE LONDON COACH POLICE

I think they should not have all this power. go and look for yourself and see how bad it’s become. In London

Maybe we should all be robots, like they are

When I’m wrong, no problem, I’ve paid enough for parking tickets in London only zones, but common sense must come into play if the situation arises.

There is never an official to clarify any traffic problems i.e. roadworks. they rely on their cameras to get evidence and not common sense, we should be as professional drivers allowed to make that decision as we are there, at that time,

It seems to me TFL would rather cause congestion than act with common sense. So in future I will legally block the road as TFL buses do always. It seems if you act with some common sense your penalised for trying to look after the company routes.

I wonder if TFL get tickets on their buses for parking illegal, In Peckham the other weekend. There was roadworks everywhere. I could have stopped legally and blocked the road to pick up an elderly group.

It was before 8am on Saturday morning not much traffic at the loading box, at a better pick up spot and a loading bay, around the corner out the way. I was no more than 10 minutes picking UP at a much quieter place. causing no obstruction unlike the roadworks. where it would have blocked the road but legally ok.

It’s about time TFL treated all transport the same. It’s also ridicules to try bring the LEZ zones in a different location until there is enough euro 6 engines available to stop fines.

Why should we be fined £100 for the non-euro 6 engines as we can’t get them quick enough, It’s a farce that we are paying £100 fine for not having euro 6 engines, surely the vehicles that are fined are still polluting London.

More revenue against coach operator’s springs to mind, when we can’t oblige due to non-engines readiness. shaving told them the reasons they still didn't cancel it

I believe most operators including my operation. don’t trust TFL, they feel let down and fed up with the whole situation. Can the mayor say that there will be enough euro 6 engines to meet demand, or I can see another industry out the door?

I had to appeal this time as awaiting a response from the robots at TFL.

The operators in London and other operators who visit with passengers can’t: 

Stop, park, pick up. Go to the toilet or take legal breaks due to these un-diplomatic, un common sense robot like tickets.

It’s getting to stage where recruiting drivers will be the only way to resolve this for now,

Next time a coach is loading legally near roadworks you will all be aware why.

Maybe it’s about time the coach industry stuck up for the drivers and not rely on other parties, I kn0w Clarkes have been penalised and left in the dark, as we always are.

A coach or bus should be the same class, so why is there such a big divide according to operators between different agency’s TFL and more the list goes on

ONE LAW FOR ONE COMES TO MIND

CONNELLY COACHES

LONDON

28-August-2016

Originally Posted by Steve Richardson

“After the awful release of Windows 8 and subsequent 8.1, I hung on as long as possible to my faithful Windows 7. But we then ended up in the office with a mixture of Windows 7, 8.1 and recently Windows 10.

I was surprisingly impressed with Windows 10. It takes a little fiddling (in my opinion) to make it more user friendly, and have decided to download the 3rd party Classic Shell Start Menu. But overall it's performed very well with few complaints.

My Windows 7 machine finally reached the end of its working life, and I reluctantly replaced it with a Windows 10 version. After 4 years, my new machine is obviously a lot faster, has double the memory (wish I did!), but surprisingly, I'm really impressed with Windows 10. I've also put the Classic shell start menu on it, just to give me a Windows 7 style start bar, but other than that I really like it.

The Action Centre works well, I like some of the apps like the news, but most importantly it's stable. Loaded up with the usual Office apps, plus adobe products, it's performing fine, crash free (touch wood) and shuts down and boots up in record time.

I'm genuinely impressed after spend years moaning about MS products 

Have many others moved over now to Windows 10? If so are you happy with it, or is it no different to Windows 8 or any other operating system? ie as long as your apps work, you're happy.”

I got a new Lap top so had Windows 10 installed then I added the anniversary update

then the trouble started would not do update, add new devices, or run out to normal speed 

slow no updates kept turning off, I contacted everyone to no avail in the end I took it reverted back 

now it's working again not as slow still won't update 

I intend to take the Hp laptop back u have only had it it 2 months 

a terabite hard drive 

connelly coaches 

Thank you for the reply I have already contacted the mayors office and won't stop there 

can't wait to see how many Tfl vehicles get tickets 

Common sense prevails. No chance with TFL.

In Peckham the other weekend. There were  roadworks everywhere. I could have stopped legally and blocked the road to pick up an elderly group.

It was before 8am on Saturday morning not much traffic at the loading box, At a better pick up spot and a loading bay, round the corner out the way. I was no more than 10 minutes picking UP at a much quieter place. causing no obstruction unlike the roadworks. where it would have blocked the road but legal.

As an operator common sense prevailed but to non surprise a ticket from TFL, having told them the reasons they still didn't cancel it

i appealed this time awaiting a response from the robots at TFL. Us operators in London and others who visit with passengers cant: Stop, park, pick up. Go to to the toilet or take legal breaks due these un-diplomatic un common sense tickets

Next time a coach is loading legally near roadworks you will all be aware why. in future i will be a robot like they are.

Maybe its about time I and others police TFL BUSES and send them the parking disasters they cause 

CONNELLY COACHES

Stay in the uk much better here and not security risks like other countries 

I went to the London firework display there was no problems the police were brilliant and left alone to watch the best show, 

i thought why do we need to go abroad, 

i will be there this year work permitting I would say go to anyone resident or visiting 

Originally Posted by Steve Richardson

“Older folk often lament about the good old days when you had good old fashioned customer service.

Then the internet was born, along with the overseas outsourced call centres and customer service seemed to exit stage right

But more recently, there seems to have been a backlash, largely I suspect due to customer complaints, and the modern review driven culture.

Companies now proudly claim to use local call centres, staffed with regional accents, and shout the customer service message loudly from the roof tops.

I called BT (residential) recently and had the happiest Indian based chap in the world, who was falling over himself to make me happy, and finally even resolved my problem. Phoning back 30 minutes later just to make sure I was still happy...

Compared to years ago where you would sit patiently in the queue. I think the worst used to be NTL broadband (what happened to them?) and trying to talk to their patronising support department

With the power in consumers hands via reviews and social media, have things changed?

What are peoples perceptions? Is customer service in general getting better or worse? Or is customer service better with smaller companies who are quick to react, versus the large PLC's who are still playing catch up?”

i just took a happy bunch of the older generation who were the best fun, customer service how hard,

a smile a welcome. and asking what music they liked. Elvis was shouted, how easy. at the end were some of the best comments i have heard. For doing a job the right way. i have proved it customer service wins hands down, the more other don.t give it, the more customers for me

Customer service always wins i prove it everyday, And still amazed how easy it is to be nice, friendly smile sand help

not hard 

john

Hi all

I must say what a year, my first year in business i never thought i could do it, A different coach on and fairly healthy books.

i am happy, but no stopping me now

i was very unsure if i should start on my own but with help i managed to do the following in my ist year

a Google local register 1st page. 

Vat registered. 

my own website,

Business phone

Tax registered on line, the list goes on 

I do my own accounts,  that was hard but i got there all down to trying to get advice which this was my 1st site

Up graded to new coach, more money

Work off my website, as i chose to limit myself to the lo cal i msanaged get loads of church outings very local as well as sun contract work.

It is hard but very rewarding My local services helped me to get my name out there and it work.

if your thinking you cant do, i did, so you can, takes hard work, sleepness nights but the rewards are brilliant.

My last comments from the customers were a big clap and rewarding comments of the best driver we ever had ringing in my ears,

That is the reward, customers saying such wonderful comments that makes me feel i have done something right, not just once i get it said regular,

A customer's word of mouth is the best review you can get and to get a full coach load saying it brings a fantastic feeling. The customer reviews on here were brilliant too

A big thank you to my local services setting me on my way, Remember if i can do anyone can

i wont forget that, i will never forget this experience

A big thank you

 Customer service can not be outdone i proved it

Hi Rebecca

Lucky we got tickets but remember the cost was paid for by ticket sales by all of us who went toth show.

i dont think they would have been so expensive as we all subsidised it with ticket sales, it didn't have anything to do with homeless, thats another story. The time flew while watching it live and officials were brill.