Tour operators fear scarcity if Van Hool goes bankrupt

Belgian bus tour organizers fear a shortage of coaches if producer Van Hool goes bankrupt. ‘All manufacturers have overfull order books. You are already faced with waiting times of at least a year.’

The fate of the ailing bus builder Van Hool seems to have been sealed. Without a family agreement on an inheritance dispute and without an external lender, crisis manager Marc Zwaaneveld has only one option: make way for a curator and thus initiate the bankruptcy procedure, with a view to a quick restart. But if that doesn’t work, a name will disappear like clockwork in the tourism sector.

Van Hool produces around 1,000 to 1,200 buses and coaches every year, making it an important supplier for coach operators. Since the popularization of bus tourism at the end of the last century, Van Hool vehicles have become an indispensable part of the street scene, including the familiar branding of some of their best-known customers, such as De Zigeuner, Reizen Lauwers, Staf Cars or Begonia Reizen.

“A bankruptcy at Van Hool would be terrible for the sector,” says Paul Cremers of Staf Cars. ‘It would really be a loss for bus companies. Van Hool is unique in its customization and has always been able to maintain that position thanks to its flexibility and good service.’

‘Our drivers are always very proud when they stand among other buses in the parking lot with a Van Hool. The coaches are nicely equipped and cared for. It makes Van Hool unique. It would be such a shame if that knowledge disappeared,” says Hedwig Lox of De Zigeuner, a Limburg tour operator responsible for 3,500 bus trips per year.

He says that De Zigeuner will get into trouble if Van Hool stops. ‘Our fleet of coaches consists exclusively of Van Hool vehicles. We receive three to five vehicles every year. If Van Hool stops, we will have to look for another supplier.’

The youngest bus at De Zigeuner was recently delivered and is the first model produced in North Macedonia. ‘We still hope for a restart. Because we are also dependent on Van Hool for after-sales services. It is truly a unique collaboration.’

Reizen Lauwers from Bouchout also has a close relationship with Van Hool. ‘Literally, because the factory is ten minutes away. That’s easy when we need parts. But also figuratively, because my parents bought their first bus from Van Hool in 1955,’ says Luc Lauwers. ‘Since then it has always been our most loyal and most important supplier for coaches. They deliver very good quality products.’

Approximately 75 percent of Lauwers’ fleet consists of Van Hool, the rest is MAN. Lauwers says he is not yet looking for alternative suppliers. ‘I think it is too early to make statements about what will follow after the bankruptcy. I believe that there are candidates to save the coach division and give it a new start.’

If it does happen, Lauwers acknowledges that it will be difficult to find new vehicles in time. ‘The order books of all manufacturers are well full. You are already faced with waiting times of at least a year. We have significantly renewed our fleet in recent years, so we can temporarily cope with the shortage.’

That will not be the case everywhere. Paul Cremers of Staf Cars from Lommel confirms the shortage on the bus market. ‘You should not underestimate the shocks the corona crisis has caused. Production companies in the bus sector have still not fully recovered from this. Many good engineers then left and the supply chain was completely disrupted, making it very difficult to restore production capacity.’

At the same time, there is greater demand from the sector, because tourism has caught up. “If you order from Mercedes now, you will definitely have to wait until 2026,” says Cremers. ‘Second-hand buses have become considerably more expensive. I’m going to Spain next week to buy a double-decker from a small production company, because all the major players are full. Sales at VDL are also at a standstill.’

So there is already a shortage on the market, and this will worsen if Van Hool, which makes around 1,000 coaches per year, goes bankrupt. Cremers predicts that in Europe we will move more towards the American model. ‘The lifespan of a vehicle will increase significantly. Because there is little supply, but also because the vehicles are becoming more expensive and you have to write off those investments in the longer term.’

But Cremers believes first and foremost that a quick restart of Van Hool is possible after a flash bankruptcy. ‘With the know-how from Belgium, the factory in North Macedonia can… money maker become. The touring car division is not doomed at all. Several players are waiting for their chance.’