SMMT BUS AND COACH REGISTRATIONS
Data for September 2015
- Total new bus and coach registrations increase 43.9% in September to reach 1,134 units.
- Converted bus demand fuels overall sector growth, up 103.4% year-on-year.
- Purpose-built coach market benefits from September plate change with a 25.8% boost.
- Bus and coach market continues annual trend as year-to-date figures reach 6,930 registrations – an increase of 1,306 on last year.
“September marked the fifth consecutive month of growth for the new bus and coach market, with the sector posting an impressive 43.9% increase compared with last year’s figures,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “While the purpose-built coach market benefited from the September plate change, converted bus figures also experienced a substantial boost in the heavier 3.5t to 8.5t segment, more than doubling 2014’s figure. The sustained growth in the sector, demonstrated by yet another significant rise for the year-to-date figures, is an encouraging sign for the overall market.”
UK bus and coach registrations: 2015 and % change on 2014
| September | % change | Year-to- date | % change | Rolling year | % change | |
| Purpose-built single-deck buses <8.5t | 10 | -61.5% | 78 | -2.5% | 117 | -9.3% |
| Purpose-built single-deck buses >8.5t to 12t | 25 | 212.5% | 194 | 7.2% | 275 | 12.2% |
| Purpose-built single-deck buses >12t to 16t | 107 | -20.1% | 757 | 20.0% | 996 | 5.3% |
| Purpose-built single-deck buses >16t | 28 | 33.3% | 111 | -47.9% | 179 | -35.1% |
| Purpose-built double-deck buses | 107 | -30.5% | 1045 | 22.8% | 1210 | 17.6% |
| Purpose-built bus total | 277 | -19.2% | 2185 | 11.7% | 2777 | 5.8% |
| Purpose-built coaches 3.5t to 16t | 13 | 1200.0% | 54 | 25.6% | 60 | 1.7% |
| Purpose-built single-deck coaches >16t | 63 | 3.3% | 740 | 12.8% | 855 | 12.6% |
| Purpose-built double-deck coaches >16t | 2 | 0 | 34 | -19.0% | 64 | 1.6% |
| Purpose-built coach total | 78 | 25.8% | 828 | 11.7% | 979 | 11.1% |
| Purpose-built bus and coach total | 355 | -12.3% | 3013 | 11.7% | 3756 | 7.1% |
| *Converted: Bus <3.5t | 69 | -34.3% | 399 | -33.5% | 483 | -41.7% |
| *Converted: Bus 3.5t to 8.5t | 700 | 162.2% | 3451 | 49.5% | 4352 | 40.8% |
| *Converted: Bus >8.5t | 10 | -9.1% | 67 | 272.2% | 67 | 272.2% |
| *Converted bus total | 779 | 103.4% | 3917 | 33.8% | 4902 | 24.5% |
| *All buses and coaches | 1134 | 43.9% | 6930 | 23.2% | 8658 | 16.3% |
* All vehicle manufacturer-built minibus registrations are included in the converted bus <3.5t category.
** All converted bus volumes are counted in the SMMT van and truck news release. These vehicles are also represented here as they form an important part of the UK bus and coach market.
Annual and quarterly trends – 2008 to 2015
The tables and charts below detail annual trends by gross vehicle weight and type for the whole bus and coach market in 2014 and 2015 and quarterly for 2008 to 2015, taking data from the purpose-built and converted sectors.
 |  |
 |  |
| Registrations of new buses and coaches in the United Kingdom Buses and coaches | ||||||||||
| Marque | Sep-15 | % | Sep- 15 | % | % Change | YTD- 15 | % | YTD- 14 | % | % Change |
| ALEXANDER DENNIS | 131 | 36.90 | 231 | 57.04 | -43.29 | 893 | 29.64 | 810 | 30.03 | 10.25 |
| WRIGHTBUS | 62 | 17.46 | 12 | 2.96 | 416.67 | 645 | 21.41 | 379 | 14.05 | 70.18 |
| VOLVO BUS | 22 | 6.20 | 49 | 12.10 | -55.10 | 436 | 14.47 | 488 | 18.09 | -10.66 |
| MERCEDES | 49 | 13.80 | 29 | 7.16 | 68.97 | 271 | 8.99 | 106 | 3.93 | 155.66 |
| OPTARE | 31 | 8.73 | 22 | 5.43 | 40.91 | 238 | 7.90 | 221 | 8.19 | 7.69 |
| SCANIA | 23 | 6.48 | 32 | 7.90 | -28.13 | 197 | 6.54 | 241 | 8.94 | -18.26 |
| VDL | 18 | 5.07 | 5 | 1.23 | 260.00 | 87 | 2.89 | 98 | 3.63 | -11.22 |
| IRIZAR | 9 | 2.54 | 6 | 1.48 | 50.00 | 68 | 2.26 | 45 | 1.67 | 51.11 |
| VAN HOOL | 4 | 1.13 | 2 | 0.49 | 100.00 | 59 | 1.96 | 92 | 3.41 | -35.87 |
| YUTONG | 3 | 0.85 | 2 | 0.49 | 50.00 | 52 | 1.73 | 8 | 0.30 | 550.00 |
| NEOPLAN | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 24 | 0.80 | 51 | 1.89 | -52.94 |
| MAN | 2 | 0.56 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 19 | 0.63 | 25 | 0.93 | -24.00 |
| OTHER IMPORTS | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.25 | -100.00 | 11 | 0.37 | 32 | 1.19 | -65.63 |
| KING LONG | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.27 | 30 | 1.11 | -73.33 |
| TAM | 1 | 0.28 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.10 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| SETRA | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2 | 0.07 | 47 | 1.74 | -95.74 |
| CAETANO | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 1.98 | -100.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.30 | -100.00 |
| IRIS BUS | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 1.48 | -100.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 16 | 0.59 | -100.00 |
| Total buses and coaches | 355 | 100.00 | 405 | 100.00 | -12.35 | 3,013 | 100.00 | 2,697 | 100.00 | 11.72 |
