Firsts Bristol [zone] bus fares went up earlier this year. And I understand they're going up again next Monday. But that's all right, isn't it, because it's a commercial market and they can't price themselves out of the market?

Well - no - it's NOT all right; it's no longer really a commercial market. I'm not sure exactly what proportion of passengers are OAPs, who get a free service at the point of delivery, but it's pretty high - "A large proportion of bus services rely on OAPs as their main passenger numbers ..." according to The Times Online, 26 Feb 2008, with a headline that shouts Pools and parks face cuts to fund bus passes for everyone over 60.

So what's really happening with this latest fare rise on the buses? Could it - in part - work like this .... The Company raises the prices. So they may loose some of their minority customers - those who actually pay direct - but the "freebies" will continue to ride, without thought as to the cost. The local councils and other "Transport Authorities" have no choice but to pay up, but they then have to skew their budgets to meet that legal obligation. And the bus company is laughing all the way to the bank.

I always find it interesting to see what an organisation tells different audiences - reading data that wasn't written for the traveller's consumption can be most enlightening. Such as the First Group telling their shareholders that they're going to increase profits by an extra 10% each year, year on year. And I guess we may be seeing how they're achieving that.
(written 2008-08-29 07:00:42)

 Z511 - Extras - Public Transport - Road

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