Coronavirus: Transport industry demands state aid

Bus drivers say the transport industry faces a wave of bankruptcies in coming months after failing to receive relief from state government charges.

Bus drivers say the transport industry faces a wave of bankruptcies in coming months after failing to receive relief from state government charges and work falling way below pre-pandemic levels.

The transport services industry, including air, coach, and trains, has been the hardest hit section of the economy.

Data for the June quarter showed spending on transport services collapsed 88 per cent, far worse than the overall economic hit of 17.6 per cent.

The issue is so bad in NSW that bus and coach drivers are planning a protest convoy outside state parliament on Wednesday, calling for relief from fees and charges that continue to hit the industry.

Protest organiser Rob Sinclair, who runs a coach company, said he hoped to raise awareness for the plight of many small businesses that were nearing the end of their lease and debt deferment periods and staring down the barrel of declining JobKeeper payments.

“We are either forgotten or ignored by the government at all levels,” he said.

“If you’re in construction or liquor in NSW, your renewals have been waived, but if your renewal came up this year, we had to pay it,” he said.

“The general public sees a big coach driving down the road thinking this guy has got money, but he doesn’t, he’s got debt.”

Mr Sinclair called on the NSW government to provide registration, toll, or bus licensing relief, with other figures across the nation’s bus and coach industry reflecting the sentiments.

When asked whether the NSW government would consider extending relief, a spokeswoman said “there are no current plans to waive or discount vehicle registration fees”.

Mr Sinclair said if action was not taken soon, the market would be flooded with buses and coaches from businesses that had been forced to close.

The minibus and coach fleet in NSW has been more than decimated in recent months, with almost one in five buses in the charter fleet deregistered since the start of the pandemic.

Flights have almost stopped, borders are shut, the tourism tap has been turned off and school students across Australia are not venturing out on camps and excursions in great numbers.

The blows from all directions are being most keenly felt on the eastern seaboard where state governments have not extended tourism travel grants that have appeared in WA, the NT and Tasmania in recent weeks.

When asked what measures Transport NSW had taken to assist the coach and bus industry, a spokeswoman said: “On 1 July the NSW government launched the Small Business Recovery Grant of between $500 and $3000 to help small businesses in highly impacted industries relaunch their businesses as restrictions ease.”

Bus figures say their industry is in no state to return or relaunch operations, with borders continuing to be shut and school trips cut.