The Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland

The Coach Tourism & Transport Council of Ireland The CTTC is the representative body of the coach transport industry in Ireland and promotes Irelands top independent coach hire operators.

🚌 Greener fleets need Budget backing CTTC Chairperson David Conway spoke to The Business Post about the practical and fi...
25/09/2026

🚌 Greener fleets need Budget backing

CTTC Chairperson David Conway spoke to The Business Post about the practical and financial challenges facing commercial bus and coach operators as the sector transitions to cleaner fleets.

The CTTC is calling for targeted Budget 2027 measures to support low- and zero-emission vehicle purchases, make lower-carbon fuels such as HVO more affordable, and ensure operators have access to the charging infrastructure needed to support the transition.

As David Conway said:

“The single biggest and most impactful measure would be a dedicated support mechanism for the decarbonisation of commercial bus and coach fleets.”

Read the full piece in the Business Post: https://www.businesspost.ie/commercial-reports/greener-fleets-need-budget-backing/

Thank you to all Oireachtas members, CTTC members and guests who joined us in Leinster House this morning for the CTTC's...
23/09/2026

Thank you to all Oireachtas members, CTTC members and guests who joined us in Leinster House this morning for the CTTC's Budget 2027 Briefing, kindly hosted by Senator Garret Kelleher.

CTTC Vice Chair Brendan Crowley outlined the key priorities facing Ireland’s commercial bus and coach sector ahead of Budget 2027, including:

🚌 Modernising school transport contracts
👨‍👩‍👧 Extending free travel for under-9s to eligible commercial public bus services
♻️ Supporting fleet investment and the transition to lower-emission transport
📈 Providing greater certainty for operators facing rising costs

A constructive discussion followed with Oireachtas members on school transport, fare equity and the wider challenges facing commercial operators.

Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed to the discussion.

🚌 Positive news for coach operators in Dublin. Following continued engagement with Dublin City Council, the CTTC is plea...
04/09/2026

🚌 Positive news for coach operators in Dublin.

Following continued engagement with Dublin City Council, the CTTC is pleased to confirm that the Purple Zone coach parking arrangements are being removed, with coaches continuing to park free of charge in these designated areas.

As part of the changes:

➡️ Purple Zone signage is being replaced with “No Parking 24 Hour Except Buses” signage
➡️ Coaches will continue to park free of charge in these areas
➡️ Enforcement against other vehicles occupying designated bus and coach parking areas will be strengthened

This is a practical and positive outcome for CTTC members and the wider coach industry.

The cost of operating a bus or coach has risen significantly — but school transport contracts have not always kept pace....
26/08/2026

The cost of operating a bus or coach has risen significantly — but school transport contracts have not always kept pace.

From fuel and maintenance to insurance, vehicle finance and labour, operators are facing sustained pressure on the cost of delivering essential transport services.

This is especially important for school transport. Commercial bus and coach operators deliver 95% of school transport routes, with fixed-price contracts sometimes lasting up to five years.

For Budget 2027, CTTC is calling for annual CPI-linked contract indexation, a fuel variation mechanism and a dedicated School Transport Contracts Compensation Scheme.

A sustainable school transport system needs a funding model that reflects the real-world cost of keeping services on the road.

Read our full Pre-Budget 2027 Submission at www.cttc.ie

Tune in to RTÉ Radio 1 tomorrow at 9:15am to hear Brendan Crowley, Deputy Chair of the CTTC, speak with David McCullagh ...
19/08/2026

Tune in to RTÉ Radio 1 tomorrow at 9:15am to hear Brendan Crowley, Deputy Chair of the CTTC, speak with David McCullagh about school transport and the impact of rising fuel costs on operators delivering these essential services.

Brendan will share the CTTC’s perspective on the need for continued support for the sector and the long-term sustainability of Ireland’s school transport services.

Commercial operators invest around €80 million every year in renewing Ireland's bus and coach fleet, yet outdated VAT ru...
19/08/2026

Commercial operators invest around €80 million every year in renewing Ireland's bus and coach fleet, yet outdated VAT rules continue to make those investments more expensive than they need to be.

Budget 2027 should modernise the VAT71 refund scheme, extending eligibility to modern low-floor, accessible and electric buses that are currently excluded by outdated technical requirements.

Updating the scheme would accelerate fleet renewal while supporting Government objectives on accessibility, decarbonisation and sustainable transport.

🚌 Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) can play an important role in decarbonising Ireland’s commercial bus and coach sector...
11/08/2026

🚌 Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) can play an important role in decarbonising Ireland’s commercial bus and coach sector 🚌

🌱 The CTTC welcomes the Department of Transport’s publication of its Hierarchy of Use of HVO across Transport and Other Sectors Report, which reinforces the role HVO can play in rural, intercity and tourism services where electrification is not yet practical.

The CTTC has been calling for greater support for HVO uptake, including a dedicated HVO scheme, such as a rebate or other support mechanism, to address the cost differential with diesel, alongside targeted funding for research and pilot projects.

💶 Budget 2027 should now turn recognition into action, and support operators to invest in cleaner fuels and fleets.

Read the Department of Transport's HVO report here: https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-transport/publications/publication-of-the-report-on-the-hierarchy-of-use-of-hvo-across-transport-and-other-sectors/

🚍 Positive news for coach operators 🚍Dedicated coach parking, set-down and pick-up arrangements have now been confirmed ...
10/08/2026

🚍 Positive news for coach operators 🚍

Dedicated coach parking, set-down and pick-up arrangements have now been confirmed for The Weeknd and Bon Jovi concerts at Croke Park.

A dedicated coach parking facility will operate on Alfie Byrne Road from 1pm to midnight on each concert day, on a first-come, first-served basis with no advance registration required.

Coaches using the facility will be able to set down passengers, remain parked during the concert and return to the same location for passenger collection.

If the facility reaches capacity, coaches may set down passengers on Alfie Byrne Road before proceeding to South Bank Road, Dublin 4, for layover. They may return to Alfie Byrne Road from 10pm for passenger collection.

This is a welcome development that provides greater certainty for operators. The CTTC will continue to advocate for practical arrangements that support coach operators and the passengers they serve.

Ireland wants cleaner, greener and more accessible buses — but current VAT rules make investing in them more difficult.B...
07/08/2026

Ireland wants cleaner, greener and more accessible buses — but current VAT rules make investing in them more difficult.

Budget 2027 should:

🚌 Introduce a VAT Compensation Scheme for commercial passenger transport operators.
🔋 Modernise the VAT71 scheme to support electric and accessible buses.
💰 Speed up VAT71 repayments to encourage investment in new fleets.

Supporting cleaner, more accessible buses starts with supporting the operators investing in them.

Read the CTTC's budget submission here: https://tinyurl.com/CTTC-Budget-Submission

Micheál Martin Simon Harris TD Jack Chambers Darragh O'Brien TD Sean Canney TD Jerry Buttimer

Every school day, commercial bus and coach operators transport more than 181,000 children safely to and from school, pro...
28/07/2026

Every school day, commercial bus and coach operators transport more than 181,000 children safely to and from school, providing approximately 95% of all buses deployed in the School Transport Scheme.

School transport is one of the State's most important public services, and Budget 2027 must ensure the operators delivering it have sustainable funding to continue serving families across Ireland.

This year, in Budget 2027, we call on the Government to:

✅Introduce a School Transport Contracts Compensation Scheme
✅Increase the budget allocation for school transport to account for the increase in demand
✅Index school transport contract payments annually to the consumer price index to account for inflation
✅Introduce a fuel variation clause to protect operators from exceptional movements in diesel prices for school transport contracts

Read our pre-budget submission here:https://cttc.ie/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/CTTC-Pre-Budget-Submission-2027.pdf

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