- Big bus rolling year total of 2,543 at April a respite, but mainly for single deckers.
- Big single deck buses down 27% for the three months to April.
- Double deck buses down 60.4% on same three months in 2006.
- Coaches figures well down by comparison to last April’s distorted performance.
‘Comparisons with last April’s distorted market were always likely to be both painful and suspect,’ said Christopher Macgowan, SMMT chief executive. ‘More operators than many expected tried to beat the 1 May 2006 deadline for digital tachographs, so last month’s figures look a little lame by comparison. The numbers fell from 296 to 136, below the 155 units more typical of April in recent years. Registrations will remain disjointed for a few months, but when these exceptional times pass we expect a return to stability.’
