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Eurolines: Enhancing Coach Travel Across Europe

Explore the problems and opportunities in Europe's coach travel industry, presented by Mr. John Gilbert, President of Eurolines Organization. Discover Eurolines' role as the No.1 express coach operator, its extensive Pan-European network, and the benefits of coach travel. Learn about the challenges of passenger access infrastructure, the importance of public coach terminals, and Eurolines' initiatives in improving accessibility for all. Explore the issues of cross-border controls, competition in VAT and cabotage policies, and Eurolines' call for a level playing field in the transport industry.

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Eurolines: Enhancing Coach Travel Across Europe

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  1. The international perspective: problems and opportunities 29 February 2012 Brussels, Belgium Presented by Mr John Gilbert President Eurolines Organisation

  2. What is Eurolines? • The No1 Express Coach operator across Europe • Pan European coach network covering 33 countries in Europe over 600 key destinations • Including over 100 major cities within the EU • Providing international transport to 4 million customers annually • Operating over 110 million kilometers • Operating 500 coaches daily • Cost effective way to travel across Europe“A growing business on short to medium distances”

  3. Network Map – Our 600 Destinations

  4. Coach Travel in Europe • Growing transport mode • Environmental, safe, flexible • Cost-effective solutions • Fastest way to improve interconnectivity

  5. Passenger Access

  6. Infrastructure • Infrastructure • Smaller need than for air and rail transport • Interconnectivity is key • Local solutions • What do good Public Terminals provide? • Easy access • Easier access for PRMs • In general safer environment • Interchange with other travel modes • Increase usage of coaches

  7. Public Coach Terminals • Some good examples • Stockholm • London • Madrid • Munich • Hamburg • Lyon • Budapest

  8. Public Coach Terminals • Some not so good examples • Paris • Amsterdam • Brussels • Copenhagen • Nice • Vienna • Bordeaux

  9. What Eurolines is doing We need to: • Provide better access for all, including PRMs • Create easy access terminal facilities • Create and improve transport interchanges with the use of TEN-T programmes • Prepare for modal shift from air to surface travel • Cater for increased mobility across Europe

  10. Cross-border Controls for coach services

  11. Cumbersome Controls • Repeated border controls despite Schengen • Delays range between 30 min – 1 hour • Discriminatory against Eurolines • - Strong brand identity and regularity • - Inequalities against air & train operators

  12. Facilitating cross-border travelling • The aim: • Create efficient joined up police controls • Deliver high-quality passenger experience • Eurolines works actively to solve the problem: • Cooperating with national authorities • Staff trainings for identifying documents • European responsibility needs European solution

  13. Competition: VAT and cabotage issues

  14. Competition - VAT in European Countries • The problem: • Diverging VAT calculations in different countries • International coach services pay VAT on services & sales • Air operators VAT exemption on fuel and ticket sales • Unlevelled playing field between transport modes

  15. Cabotage in the French market • Cabotage is a victory for European passengers • Cabotage in line with increased competitiveness • Hindered by protectionism by Public actors in the transport field • Eurolines calls for: • A common approach to VAT calculations in Member States • Creation of a level playing field for transport • Cabotage in France must not be erased by protectionist policies

  16. CONCLUSIONS: • Coach access to good quality city terminals • Coach passengers can enjoy full freedom of movement in Schengen • Levell playing field for VAT uptake for transport modes • Cabotage defended in France and offered in other member states where regular line services are currently prohibited.

  17. Working Together to Make Travel Simple Across all Modes This has to be the EU transport objective for the future..

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