There's no getting away from it - even the coach and bus industry is not immune to political spin. Recently it was announced that First Bus Group were preferred bidder for the London 2012 Olympics.

Tessa Jowell, minister for the Olympics was quick to endorse the company saying: "As a company based in Aberdeen, this is yet another example of how businesses are benefitting from the London Olympic and Paralympic Games". So, the impression is that FirstGroup are a company based in Aberdeen, Scotland and the Olympics will bring benefit to that local area? Unfortunately, whilst FirstGroup are indeed based there, their operations stretches far into deepest darkest England: Indeed they are one of the largest bus operators in many local regions. 

Interestingly, one of the many tasks that the successful party will have is to manage and co-ordinate  the direct coach hire operations. If FirstGroup win, it is possible that they will be managing the coach hire services of their rivals Stagecoach and National Express.

Disclaimer: 

All respective companies trademarks acknowledged.

With the jump horse racing season fast approaching we're started to get lots of coach hire bookings for The Aintree Grand National, and the Cheltenham Gold Cup. If you are planning on going racing via coach travel it's vital that you pre-arrange coach parking at the racecourse - this is simple to do if you have prebooked tickets for a group of you travelling by coach.

Private Coach Hire is  a good alternative to using public transport such as the train and quite often it works out to be much cheaper and convenient. Visit Racecourse Express if you are interested in an Express Coach Service to Ayr Racecourse .

Be sure to arrange your coach hire quickly as availability for coach travel to these events quickly reduces and coach hire prices tend to increase.

Echoing our earlier similar blog entry last year about the Amphicoach, there is now the"amfibus", it is the latest wheeze by Britain's most famous busdriver, Brian Souter, the co-founder and chief executive of Stagecoach Group, one of the world's largest bus and railcompanies.

If it survives day two, it could becomeBritain's first timetabled amphibious bus service.

Souter believes the Clyde service could provea model for amphibious buses elsewhere in the UK. Stagecoach is confident theamfibus can navigate safely through the wash of boats and any other passengerferry which might yet replace the obsolete service.

The bus has been borrowed from its owners, theDutch waterborne tour operator Splashtours, which is planning to run a serviceon Rotterdam's Maas river. Steve Stewart, head of communications forStagecoach, is confident that passengers will have no need of seasicknesstablets on the amfibus's 200-metre trip over the Clyde. At £700,000, theamfibus is roughly three times the price of a standard passenger coach. Unfortunately, Coach Hire Booking won't be offering any similar services in the near future!

More information below 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/video/2010/feb/08/amphibus-stagecoach-river-clyde