Tour operators are preparing a flash mob against the ban on the transportation of children in buses, who are more than ten years old. The action will take place on November 15 in eight cities of Russia.
In Moscow, St. Petersburg, Samara, Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg, travel companies will conduct free excursions for children on European buses purchased more than ten years ago to prove that they are safe and reliable.
The ban on the transport of children on old buses may come into force on January 1, 2018. If this happens, there will no longer be a segment for children's bus tours, says Irina Tyurina, a spokeswoman for the Russian Union of Travel Industry.
Irina Tyurina, press secretary of the Russian Union of Travel Industry “This ban has already been postponed five times for six months, because every time it approached, we arranged some kind of information waves. We want to prove that it is necessary to control not the age, but the technical condition. European buses have a huge resource, especially compared to Russian and Chinese buses, which are now abundant in Russia. It is clear that the industrial lobby is trying to ban good European buses so that everyone can buy bad Russian ones. Journalists will also take a ride on these buses, so that they can understand, see, touch, listen to how the engine works, the condition of the saloons, the appearance of the buses. In some regions, this was perceived as almost a political action, although there is no politics here. Nevertheless, some cities were forced to refuse to participate in the flash mob, because their administration reared up. Unfortunately, the recent accident in the Yaroslavl region, where the driver died, played a sad role. The children on the bus, fortunately, were practically not injured, but this put pressure. In this regard, this flash mob was also canceled in some cities."
According to Irina Tyurina, the purchase of new buses from European manufacturers will be overwhelming for tour operators, and available domestic or Chinese ones are unsafe.
A similar age limit applies in European countries. After 10-15 years of use, the buses are written off, and they go to the markets of third countries, including Russia. But even such a transport has a much greater margin of safety than the new Russian one, says Maxim Kadakov, editor-in-chief of Za Rulem magazine.
Maxim Kadakov Editor-in-Chief of Za Rulem magazine “A new bus is always better than an old bus. But really, judging by the feedback from the drivers, the used European car may not be quite old, but five or ten years old is no worse than our new bus. How carriers will find that kind of money and quickly replace their fleet is unclear. A good big LiAZ with a modern diesel engine, Euro-5 and even Euro-6 now probably costs nine million. It all depends on the contract, how many cars are bought, on what terms. Of course, our buses are cheaper. They are produced by several factories, which, in particular, are part of the GAZ Group. Produces "LiAZ", "PAZ", there are more or less manufacturers. It becomes more difficult for these manufacturers to live, and they find some other ways out, in particular, the forced replacement of the vehicle fleet."
According to tour operators, the problem is that the regions lack not only new, but also old buses. It is not clear whether the Russian bus manufacturers have enough capacity to cover all the market needs.