| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 18/09/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 3 |
| Copyright: Other |
Company tactics
Shearings strategy averts cancellations
COACH operator Shearings narrowly avoided disrupting or cancelling holidays by rejuggling its fleet schedules and conserving fuel stocks at regional departure points.
Chief executive John Slatcher admitted the company was on the verge of cancelling all its weekend departures when the blockades were called off – a move that would have cost the company £1 million.
“We went down to the wire,” he said. “It’s been a lot of hard work and sweat and sleepless nights but everything is operating as normal.”
Shearings ordered all its drivers to fill up their coaches just as the fuel crisis kicked off and then kept switching vehicles between domestic and European itineraries so they could get petrol in mainland Europe. This enabled the company to conserve its own fuel supplies for use over the weekend.
Wallace Arnold operations director Stephen Barber said it had kept its holiday programme intact by sending its private tankers around the country to refuel coaches.
Both Shearings and Wallace Arnold insisted they had no plans to raise holiday prices to offset spiralling fuel costs.
Meanwhile, self-drive operators have allowed customers to rebook their holidays for a later date.