Independent Local Bus Companies

[Bevan Price]

RE: Independent Local Bus Companies
Not referring to any specific operators, but in general I think that most of the problems have to do with money (or lack of it), and sometimes allowing ambition / over-optimism to take over from careful planning. If a small "start-up" bus company achieves early success, it has two main choices.

1. Remain small, keep doing what you know you can do well. Gradually build up your finances until you can afford to run a small, newish fleet of good quality buses, or,

2. Proceed with expansion plans, buy (or hire) more oldish buses to introduce new routes, but find that these routes are not as lucrative as your first routes. Coupled with ever-increasing costs (fuel, maintenance, etc.), and with less time for the management to devote to day to day detail, there is a risk that standards may start to slip. At its worst, that brings you to the attention of the traffic commissioners or the vehicle examiners, or to financial difficulties.

At that point, you have further choices, for example:
(a) Revert to a smaller, more viable fleet size.
(b) Stagger on, never able to afford newish buses.
© Give up.
(d) Find a larger company who will buy your fleet & services.

I have no knowledge of the finances of any bus company, but I expect many people can think of various past / present operators who have followed some of the above patterns.

As for JPT - they have lasted much longer than many independents, so they must be doing something right. I wish them good luck for a long future.