Big bus registrations stable; outlook constrained
“¢ Rising tide of big bus registrations ebbs away.
“¢ May shows major impact of recession on coach registrations.
“¢ Small minibus registrations continue to shrink and shift to higher weights.
“This year’s rise in big bus registrations followed last year’s strong sales, but has now peaked. Bus registrations will fall and the squeeze on coaches and small minibuses will continue until a year or more after the end of the recession,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT chief executive. “Manufacturers are concerned and very cautious about the effect of falling orders on output and activity across the sector in the UK; they hope for some signs of stability elsewhere.”