In this atypical year, national travel has become one of the safest options and the perfect excuse to get to know our immediate surroundings in detail or visit family, as well as contributing to the economic recovery of our country.
In this type of tourism, the coach (once the necessary measures for contagion reduction have been taken) takes on special relevance, because, as Rafael Barbadillo, president of Confebus, rightly said in a recent interview for the Castrosua blog: “we reach where no other means of transport reaches”.
And not only that: in many cases it is the most accessible and universal option; comfortable, sustainable, and safe. Let’s analyze in detail all these aspects of the coach thanks to which we can travel comfortably and safely all year round. Keep reading!
The role of the coach in the tourism sector
The coach plays a fundamental role in the tourism sector as it facilitates comfortable and fast travel to cities and less accessible places.
The coach tourism transport sector generates employment in areas where tourism is highly relevant. With a turnover of €1,304 million and 21,700 jobs in 2019, this mode of transport grew by 8% last year, reaching 24.5 million passengers (Source: CONFEBUS: Report “Coach-friendly Cities”).
We are talking about a key sector for the Spanish economy which, although affected during the current situation, remains an essential model for society, as it guarantees the mobility of thousands of people every day, sometimes being the only means of transport available. Thanks to it, we can say that there is practically no area that cannot be reached by coach.
On the other hand, when we talk about sustainable mobility, the coach plays a leading role: according to the prestigious international innovation in mobility publication TNMT, it is the long-distance transport that emits the least carbon, including emissions from the journey, manufacturing, maintenance, and even the use and maintenance of the necessary infrastructure.
Despite this excellent starting point, from the vehicle manufacturing sector we know that, in terms of environmental impact, there is still a long way to go. That is why we continue to work every day to find new solutions that promote energy saving, limit CO2 and particulate emissions, and the use of clean energy sources.
Zero accidents for coaches
The coach sector has achieved what has been strived for in road mobility for so many years: in 2019, no fatalities occurred on coaches on Spanish roads. This is the first time in history, since records began, that a year has closed with 0 fatalities on this means of transport.
This was announced by the General Directorate of Traffic in its digital magazine, which also, citing CONFEBUS, stated that traveling by coach is “20 times safer” than traveling by private vehicle. And this is what we celebrated a few days ago with our community on Twitter; as with this news, the coach positions itself at levels similar to rail or aviation in terms of road safety.
If today we can talk about zero accidents, an achievement that deeply proud all those involved in the sector, it is largely thanks to the drivers.
In Spain, we have trained and highly qualified drivers without whom we could not have achieved this. To the human factor, we must also add improvements in infrastructure, as well as the technological factor, which has made the vehicles circulating on our roads increasingly safe.
Technological innovations to achieve safer vehicles
Since 1984, when Regulation 36 on General Vehicle Safety came into force, public administrations, bodywork companies, vehicle manufacturers, and research centers have been constantly working to increase vehicle safety. With this, our country was a pioneer and leader in this field throughout the European Union.
As Francisco Aparicio Izquierdo, President of INSIA, pointed out in an interview for Revista Viajeros: “the incorporation of automatic systems that assist the driver by improving dynamic behavior in different situations has contributed significantly to the level of safety”. To name a few, ABS anti-lock braking systems, ASR traction control, BAS brake assist, or electronic stability programs.
Other technologies such as speed limiters and assistants, rollover protection structures, or tire temperature and pressure monitoring systems have also brought great improvements in passenger and driver safety.
Likewise, in recent years, new systems have been incorporated into vehicles that allow anticipating risky situations. For example, traffic sign recognition systems, which detect speed limit signs, alerting the driver if the vehicle exceeds the indicated speed.
In the same vein are lane departure warning systems: a front camera captures and processes road images using artificial intelligence, detecting and warning of possible unintentional lane changes due to driver distraction.
Other examples include fatigue detectors, whose most advanced versions are incorporating facial recognition technologies, or alcolocks, which prevent the vehicle from starting if the driver exceeds the pre-set blood alcohol limit.
Finally, we want to highlight the recent incorporation of black boxes capable of monitoring and storing all necessary information in the event of an accident.
Although many vehicles already incorporate these technologies, from 2022 they will be mandatory for all new models, and from 2024 for existing models. With this, the European Union aims to protect passengers, drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists and reduce road accidents.
Stellae: a comfortable, sustainable, and safe coach model
As bodywork manufacturers, at Grupo Castrosua, we make our own contribution to the coach tourism transport sector by investing in innovation and developing improvements that are subsequently incorporated into our vehicles.
In this context, we want to highlight our Stellae model: our safest, most comfortable, resistant, and durable coach.
Launched in 2012 after extensive R&D work, the Stellae is one of the most appreciated models available on the market for intercity and discretionary transport. It has a capacity of between 51 and 59 seats and the option of incorporating access platforms for people with reduced mobility (PRM), as well as ample luggage space.
We are talking about a vehicle that in itself will make the journey a pleasant experience, even on the longest distances; not for nothing has every detail been designed with the comfort of its occupants in mind.
But if there is one thing the Stellae stands out for, it is its extensive catalog of customizations, which allows for vehicles completely adapted to the individual needs of each client.
Thus, for example, for long-distance journeys, the inclusion of a bunk and a toilet could be considered without affecting the number of seats or passenger comfort.
With the traveler’s comfort in mind, the possibility of equipping the seats with footrests, magazine racks, and cup holders has been included; USB ports, 220V power outlets with 2000W inverter and sockets (which, added to the possibility of integrating a WiFi router, is something travelers greatly appreciate), among other features that will make the journey more pleasant.
In terms of safety, we must also differentiate between standard equipment and optional equipment.
Among the former, we can highlight features such as the multiplexed bodywork, cameras located at the rear of the vehicle, a camera on the central door with integrated TFT, or a structural luggage rack, among others.
The latter, in turn, offers a long list of improvements: fire suppression system, surround view system, safety Mirror, cornering light, luggage control system, parking sensors, mobileye, or black box with video recording, among others.
As Juan Tato, a driver for Autocares Presas, commented several years ago: “The Stellae is one of the most comfortable vehicles for the driver.” And also for the passengers, we dare to add.
Have you traveled in one of our Stellae coaches? We would love for you to tell us in the comments section.
