Leighton Buzzard coach company joins Honk for Hope demonstration

The owners of a coach company in Leighton Buzzard joined hundreds of coach companies from across the country for the Honk for Hope demonstration.

Marshalls Coaches took part in the demonstration in London on Monday, July 20, to raise awareness of the plight of the coach industry.

It aimed to convey the industry’s unhappiness with government failure to provide sector-specific support and to articulate the real threat to the wider economy that widespread failures of coach operators poses.

Key to the procession was its routing via Parliament Square and many drivers elected to make their feelings known to those nearby using vehicle horns.

Glen Marshall, managing partner at Marshalls Coaches, travelled to London with his children to support the industry.

He said: “It was a very good turnout, almost 500 coaches were there to support each other.

“A lot of companies in the industry have not had the support, no work and no grants during the pandemic, so we all wanted to come together as one voice, some of us have had it, but we wanted the industry to be unified as one.”

Masons Minibus and Coach Hire, based in Tring, also joined the demonstration in Westminster.

Candice Mason said: "I think the demonstration had the desired effect, we wanted to raise awareness and we definitely did that in London.

"There was about 500 coaches and we were very loud, at around midday we were told to stop the honking.

"We wanted a collection of voices to show we are all together.

"We have significantly struggled during Covid-19 and have been unable to access many of the grants and financial support that has been made available by the government. We are going to lose many, many operators."