This Award will be won by an authority that has made extra effort to deliver outstanding facilities for coaches and their passengers.

The performance of tourist attractions and the quality of visits can be critically affected by local highway authorities’ policies on traffic management, parking and road network development.

Enlightened local authorities:

• encourage use of public transport
• provide facilities for visiting coaches, their drivers and their passengers
• invest in infrastructure for coaches
• promote access to their area by public transport, including coaches.

The Results

Winners: Bury Metropolitan Borough Council

Bury Council has been extremely proactive in attracting coach visits to the town.  Initially, a coach pack containing promotional items such as a free DVD, leaflets, maps and stickers are posted to prospective coach companies.

Once a visit has been arranged, there are clear instructions and signs for visiting coaches including brown tourist signs which lead coach drivers to the 15 dedicated, and free to use, coach parking bays on Market Street and to the additional coach drop off point outside the Tourist Information Office.

Visitors to the town in general can enjoy the town’s shopping and Cultural Quarter and will find Town Centre Ambassadors on duty around the area who can provide information and guidance on the Town’s facilities and offer. The Council promotes the use of public transport and coaches alike and has introduced Bus Lanes and provides free coach parking within Bury itself and free ‘overflow parking’ in the neighbouring town of Radcliffe.

the judges were impressed by the commitment and effort given by Bury to the industry despite the strictures on local authority spending.

Runners Up: Liverpool City Council

Who could be nominated?

District Councils, County Councils and Unitary Authorities throughout the United Kingdom.

…and by whom?

Coach operators were asked to nominate towns and/or cities whose provision for coaches they had admired during the last 12 months. They were asked to explain why they thought the nominated town or city deserved this award.

Criteria and Entry Requirements:

A judging process supplemented the nominations, including an assessment of the authority’s overall tourism and transport policies, future plans and sustainability. The process may if necessary include an element of ‘mystery shopping’.